Interstellar H20: Discovering the Origins of Water in the Universe

The European Space Agency’s Herschel Space Observatory Will Search for the Answers to Star Formation, Water Creation and More

Atop the Ariane 5 rocket in Kourou, French Guiana, Herschel waits for its May launch. Named after the British astronomer William Herschel, who discover the infrared spectrum and Uranus, the observatory is the largest space telescope ever launched. Photo courtesy of the ESA

When in 1969 Joni Mitchell, in her song “Woodstock,” wrote “We are stardust…,” she expressed –- as any astronomer will tell you -– a scientific fact as well as a glaring rock metaphor. Almost all elements in the universe are literally debris blown off by dying stars — material that is later recycled in the formation of new stars, planets and eventually life.

While water plays a crucial role in these cosmic births, much about its own origin in the universe remains unknown. Today, however, hopes are high, as the largest telescope ever flown into space blasts off into the great unknown to unlock the great secrets of water in the universe. The Herschel Space Observatory, which launched in May, opened its eyes in June to peer deep into the cosmos — into galaxies, star-forming regions and dying stars. CONTINUE