Friday, April 26, 2013

W is for Water in Outer Space

Water: Without it, we die. Real fast. So if we are to colonize the moon, Mars, asteroids, and beyond then we need to find ample sources of water. We as space travelers simply cannot lug it into space with us. 

We have to ask: How much water is in space? Where is it? Can we find and extract it at a cost that makes sense? And if there is water (in ice, vapor, or liquid form), will there also be life? 

Water forms when two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom get together. So theoretically, water can exist in abundant forms in outer space. 

"Two teams of astronomers have discovered the largest and farthest reservoir of water ever detected in the universe. The water, equivalent to 140 trillion times all the water in the world's ocean, surrounds a huge, feeding black hole, called a quasar, more than 12 billion light-years away."  

"The environment around this quasar is very unique in that it's producing this huge mass of water," said Matt Bradford, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "It's another demonstration that water is pervasive throughout the universe, even at the very earliest times. Reference 

But what about our solar system? Is there water close to home? Just take a look at this map of Our Watery Solar System. Planets, moons, asteroids, and dwarf planets are places that hold water to some degree. If the image is not clear, please click THIS LINK

So, just how the heck do we mine this water in our solar system? Sorry, but I'm out of room and out of time. But for now I wanted to present this concept of water in outer space and the possibilities we can exploit. How to mine it is a mini-series I will present shortly. Please stay tuned.

15 comments:

  1. Interesting thoughts about water, the thing we take for granted to drink and wash, look forward to your mini-series.

    Yvonne.

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  2. Interesting reading. Oddly enough, it made me thirsty.

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  3. Excellent information on water. However, we're destroying Earth. Therefore, I hope we don't colonize. We've done enough damage. I would hate to see humans cause more damage.

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  4. Yes, I'll be interested to hear more about this, too.

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  5. Mining water - I look forward to finding out how.

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  6. We could mine it, but we'd still have to lug it somewhere.

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  7. This will be a fun mini-series! Maybe we will be bound by where the water is. Maybe not.

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  8. There surely must be planets with a water resource like Earth has. I wonder what kind of life it might support.

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  9. I didn't realize there was so much water in space.

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  10. It had never occurred to me that we would have to have a source of water wherever we decided to stop. One reads, in sci fi, about the diaspora etc. but as yet no writer has ever said "but we need water". I will look forward to your mini series on mining water.

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  11. Makes me think of the Saga of the Seven Suns, we need the wentals.

    JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

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  12. I'm interested to read this mini-series. And I'm thirsty.

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  13. I have to believe that it's abundant and hope it's abundant enough to facilitate travel and colonization one day--providing we can ever get our act together on this rock.

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  14. That's an interesting post. I think it will prove to be abundant enough - we're starting to find more planets that might be in the right zone from their star and with suitable composition, after all.
    Thanks for co-hosting the Challenge - another great year!
    Jemima at Jemima's blog

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  15. Hi Stephen .. looking forward to learning more - I hadn't heard about the outerspace find ... and that quantity of water is huge (to put it mildly) ..

    Cheers Hilary

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