One of the main questions that scientists ask is how life appeared on Earth and where the water arises so that everything is today.
Recent conclusions around the comet 12p/Pons-BrooksIn the people known as “Comet Diablo”, He revived one of the most entertaining science discussions: The origin of water on the ground and the role that comet could play in the housing planet.
This discovery not only gives unpublished data, but also opens new routes of the chemical history Solar. And the beginning of life in our world.
A team of researchers led by NASA astrophysics Martin Cordiner and Stephanie cute It reached historical promotion in the analysis of unprecedented accuracy the proportion between heavy water and ordinary coma.
Results published in Nature Astronomy. They show that water 12p/pons-Brooks “virtually no different”, which covers the ground oceans.
Is the coincidence in Isotopic This is a gap in the scientific discussion, because still measuring other cameras -Tipa Halley has offered completely different values. For decades one of the most discussed theories about ocean formation indicates this Water can reach the ground due to the effects of ice cream, such as comet or asteroids.
However, the data collected in various observation companies seemed to be subtracted from this hypothesis.
Proportion D/H (Dietary to Hydrogen), The key to detecting water originpresented noticeable differences towards land. The new study, on the contrary, confirms that at least certain galley camets have transferred water with the same chemical trail as ours, which strengthens the idea of a fundamental space contribution.
12p/Pons-Brooks is one of the most shiny periodic comet, known with 71-year orbit. He owes his nickname “Comet Diablo” with an eruption recorded in 2023, which gave it an asymmetrical appearance with a similar form. Among the supporters of the nickname “was also won”Millennia hawk“For his resemblance to the famous ship Star wars.
These visual anecdotes hide the extraordinary scientific value: its core with a diameter of 35 kilometers, It consists of a rock, dust and ice, it retains the original material of the solar system.
Cordiner emphasized that “Such camets – frozen relics of the birth of our solar system 45 billion years ago“By studying them, scientists can restore how the main components that gave rise to life were formed. The fact that the water expressed in this body coincides with the earth, enhances the scenario in which the oceans can be filled by the effects of comitas that have been transported and organic molecules.
Work was possible due to the combination of two avant -garde -garde instruses: Atacama large millimeter/array submitter (soul) In Chile and the NASA Infrared Telescope (IRTF) in Hawaii.
These tools allowed to reflect in detail the usual water (H₂O) and heavy water molecules (HDO) coma.
The sensitivity of the soul was crucial because it allowed to detect a weak heavy water sign In the most internal regions of the gaseous cloud that surrounds the core, something has never been reached before such a snake.
The fixed D/H attitude reached the value (1.71 ± 0.44) × 10⁻⁴, the lowest, which is observed in the kite -tip. This figure is almost identical in that in land water and disturbed with the tendency of previous discrepancies.
Stephanie cute He explained that “displaying H2O and HDO in coma’s coma, we can determine if there is These gases come from frozen ice inside the hard body of the kernel, Instead of forming from chemistry or other processes in a gas coma. ‘This level of accuracy means A before and after the comet investigation.
Until recently, the hypothesis that the comet would have brought into the water the stability of the Earth’s water. The isotopic proportions obtained in other organs seemed to exclude this contribution. Study 12p/Pons-Brooks, on the other hand, The discussion opens again and directs it to the possibility that certain comts were carriers of keys and the main molecules on primitive land.
Researchers did not limit themselves to the measurement of water, they also analyzed the presence of other gas gases. This has made it possible to understand whether the observed molecules from the original core ice, or they are formed from chemical reactions in the gas cloud. The possibility of tracking this origin is crucial for understanding how compounds are formed and developed in the early stages of the solar system.
The conclusion not only causes clarity about the past of our planet, but also opens ways for the future of space research. A mission predetermined to take direct core samples, would allow you to check out in the laboratory What is currently measured and at the same time analyzes organic molecules that could travel near the water. These types of success are vital to understand the connection between ice cream and habitats.
Martin Cordiner Summarized the transcendence of the conclusion, stating: “Our new results give the strongest evidence until at least some halli -type camets were transported with the same isotopic firm as on the groundWhat supports the idea that comet could help make our planet alive. ”
His words reflect how the only discovery can change how we understand the origin of the most fundamental elements of life.
The result also opens the possibility of comparing chemical signatures in different comet. If the following analysis repeats the image found in 12p/Pons-Brooks, the water hypothesis to the ground can get unprecedented support. Wouldn’t be exaggerated to confirm this This conclusion is a turning point in planetary research.
In parallel, the observation of this air snake will continue to offer unique opportunities. 12p/Pons-Brooks will be visible from Earth in 2024 and 2025, moments that will allow new dimensions when it approaches the sun.
Each perigelia comet is a unique window to study changes in its brightness, composition and inner dynamics. The interest is not just astronomical: it is directly related to the deep questions about the history of our planet.
The isotope coincidence between the water of this air snake and the ground is the words of the researchers, the strongest evidence obtained today, about the possible contribution of commentary on the water supply of the planet.
