Building Blocks Literally Made Out of Rock

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Scientists recently discovered the components of water circulating within the rubble of a star. The GD 61 white dwarf star shattered an asteroid due to its gravitational pull, exposing the asteroid’s contents. A white dwarf star is classified as a dying star that has a strong pull, which draws in neighboring asteroids and planets. GD 61 is 150 light-years away from the constellation Perseus. Perseus, named after a Greek mythological figure, is found in the northern sky and is 250 million light-years away from Earth. Even though the distance away from Earth is so extensive, the Hubble Space Telescope was able to identify the contents of the asteroid rubble. They were determined to be iron, magnesium, and oxygen. The presence of oxygen shocked scientists and led them to only one conclusion. Water had to be present at one point in time for oxygen to be found in the asteroid. Oxygen is vital for the basis of life and its development. Oxygen is one of the main elements found in water, H₂O, and it allows for organisms to flourish in aerobic conditions. On Earth the accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere allowed terrestrial organisms to sustain through respiration. Oxygen is the explanation as to why organism evolved, developed, and reached their success today. The discovery of oxygen in the asteroid is very crucial in understanding the beginning and evolution of life. Finding oxygen ultimately leads to water, which is metaphorically the match that can spark life on a planet. The possibility of life in other areas of the universe is exhilarating and evidence such as this fuels continued research. Scientists believe the amount of water stored in these rocks could have filled massive bodies of water, creating speculation that a planet similar to Earth once orbited GD 61. It is difficult to prove completely if this is the reason there is water in the asteroid, but it is a theory that provides hope and inspiration to the scientific community.

J. Farihi, B.T. Gänsicke and D. Koester. Evidence for water in the rocky debris of a disrupted extrasolar minor planet. Science. Vol. 342, October 11, 2013, p. 218. doi: 10.1126/science.1239447.