Water Found to Have Existed 100–200 Million Years After the Big Bang

New simulations reveal water formed earlier than previously believed, potentially aiding the creation of the first galaxies and habitable planets.

A study published in Nature Astronomy shows water molecules began forming 100–200 million years after the Big Bang, earlier than previously thought.
Supernova explosions from the first stars, known as Population III stars, produced the oxygen necessary to combine with hydrogen and form water.
Computer models simulated two types of supernovae, revealing dense clumps of water-enriched gas that likely seeded the formation of stars and planets.
The findings suggest water was a key constituent in the formation of the first galaxies and may have contributed to early habitable environments in the universe.
This discovery significantly advances understanding of the early universe and the conditions that could have supported life billions of years ago.