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A water reservoir 140,000 billion times larger than the one on Earth has been discovered in space

An illustration of a distant galaxy with an active quasar at its center. (Image source: Nasa, ESA et J. Olmsted - STScI)
An illustration of a distant galaxy with an active quasar at its center. (Image source: Nasa, ESA et J. Olmsted - STScI)
Many discoveries are being made in space. Scientists have managed to discover a water reservoir 140,000 billion times larger than the one on Earth. But studies need to be conducted to better understand it.

As you can see, water is not only present on our planet Earth, it is also located in various places in space. This was proven when researchers discovered a huge reservoir of water, 140,000 billion times larger than that of Earth, in the universe. 

Regarding this unique discovery, it is important to note that at its core lies a quasar, named APM 08279+5255, located 12 billion light-years away from us. And that's not all, because it houses a supermassive black hole of impressive size. In fact, it has a mass 20 billion times greater than that of the Sun and produces energy equivalent to that of a trillion Suns. Finally, one of the most important aspects is the amount of water it contains, which is 140 trillion times greater than that found on Earth. 

To emphasize this detail, Matt Bradford, a researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, points out that the location of this quasar is unique in its ability to produce such a large amount of water. However, this immense reservoir has surprising characteristics that make it unique compared to other discoveries of this type. It is worth noting that its temperature is -63 degrees, which is five degrees warmer than average. In addition, its density is 10 to 100 times greater than average and it extends over hundreds of light-years.

But beware, because this is not the only time that a water reservoir has been found in the universe. In fact, the Orion Nebula, located 1,344 light-years away, contains water vapor and ice. Comets and asteroids can also have ice, and exoplanets can contain water in various forms. But this discovery is the largest reservoir of water ever observed, and it also shows that water is present in large quantities in the universe. With further analysis, it may be possible to uncover new information about it, but this will undoubtedly require a little patience. 

Source(s)

Futura-Sciences (in french)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2025 07 > A water reservoir 140,000 billion times larger than the one on Earth has been discovered in space
Alexis Stegmann, 2025-07-10 (Update: 2025-07-10)