Star Found Shooting Water “Bullets”

Water is often referred to as the building block of life. And therefore the search for life on other planets has become a search for water. But where does this water come from and how does it get to these planets? They finally think they have an answer to that question…

A protostar (a contracting mass of gas that represents an early stage in the formation of a star) in the constellation Perseus was discovered to have the signature of hydrogen and oxygen atoms on and around it. Tracing the paths of these atoms, it’s been concluded that the water is formed on the surface of the protostar and then ejected at it’s poles were it condenses and continues along a path traveling faster than a speeding bullet. This process is thought to only occur for a short period of time during the star’s formation.

So before a star becomes a star, it irrigates the space around it. And as planets start to form in the disk of dust surrounding the adolescent star, their gravitational pulls lure in the frozen water molecules giving a possible breeding ground for life.

It is also thought that this icy discharge is an important part in the creation of other stars as well. Which makes me wonder… if our definition of “life” was to be slightly broadened, then maybe these celestial bodies could be considered as lifeforms themselves… they are born, they die, they require fuel to remain alive, they expel waste, they reproduce, they create environments that sustain other forms of life… Maybe it’s time to re-assess what life really is and how all lifeforms are connected in someway or another. And then maybe we can reconsider the way we treat the life form that really is the mother of humanity… Earth. And if our mom is Earth, then maybe our father is the sun. Or should I say Father…

Source (National Geographic)

by DJ Mikey Bones on Jun.16, 2011