Water Beyond Earth
Is There Water Outside of Earth?
In short: yes!
Water exists in solid, liquid, and vapor forms beyond Earth, and even within our very own solar system. From the icy poles of Mars to the glaciers of Pluto, water is more abundant in our celestial neighbors than you might think. Extraterrestrial water is especially interesting to scientists because water is a fundamental part of life, and researching off-planet water may reveal more to us about the nature of life here at home, as well as in the universe at large.
Water Nearby
While we might tend to imagine Earth, ‘the Blue Marble,’ as the only water-containing planet in our solar system, there are actually several planets and moons that also have water. Frozen water exists in ice caps on Mars, and oceans may have covered the red planet’s surface similarly to Earth billions of years ago. Several of Jupiter’s moons (Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa) likely have sub-surface oceans or layers of ice. Pluto is littered with water ice mountains, and it’s possible a sub-surface ocean exists on the dwarf planet as well. Comets and asteroids are also all over the solar system, and many of these contain icy cores.
Water Far Away
In addition to the planets and moons of our own solar system, scientists have discovered several exoplanets in which the presence of water is very possible. HAT-P-1 1b is one such exoplanet, in the constellation Cygnus. It orbits close to its star, and probably doesn’t have oceans, but may have an atmosphere rich in water vapor. Kepler-22b, which exists in the habitable zone of its star, may have clouds in its sky, full of water vapor. These are just a couple of examples, but scientists are tracking more possibilities every day.
If There’s Water, Why Isn’t There Life?
You might be wondering, if water exists outside of Earth and is one of the building blocks of life, why isn’t there known life elsewhere, too? That’s because water is only one of several pieces of the puzzle. Earth is sometimes called a Goldilocks planet, because the conditions here are just right to support life – which is incredibly rare, even in the vastness of the observable universe. In addition to stable liquid water, life also requires energy and nutrients. Without these things, life doesn’t stand a chance. And these are just the high-level requirements. There are plenty of other factors that could prevent otherwise habitable planets from supporting life. If conditions on the very-rare habitable planets we know of aren’t perfect, there’s little to no chance of life forming there. That’s why Earth is so unique. If it were that easy, the universe would be filled with little green people in flying saucers!
The Best Water in the Universe
While water does exist outside of Earth, you don’t have to travel to Pluto get the good stuff. FCT Water already treats any type of water right here at home! Whether you need high-purity water, efficient boiler water, a custom water system, or something else, FCT Water has you covered. Contact us today and find out why our Earth water is still out of this world.