Astrophysicists have discovered warm water vapor in protoplanetary disks around stars in the constellation Taurus. This is the first discovery of its kind. The researchers' paper will appear in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics , and its preprint is available on arXiv.org.

As part of the work, scientists conducted a spectral analysis of the radiation of several dozen stars. The radiation information was obtained using the PACS (Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer) spectrometer located on board the Herschel space observatory. In six cases they were able to record traces of water vapor.

Scientists believe that water vapor is located at a distance of 2-3 astronomical units from the star in the protoplanetary disk. The temperature here is 500-600 Kelvin (hence the name warm, since by astronomical standards it is not very hot). The source of water is most likely the inner part of the disk.

The Herschel telescope was launched on May 14, 2009 from a spaceport in French Guiana aboard a European Ariane rocket. The device is designed to operate in the infrared and submillimeter ranges. The diameter of the device's mirror is 3.5 meters, which is one meter more than that of Hubble.

Water was first discovered in the protoplanetary disk of another star in March 2008. This discovery was made by the Spitzer telescope. The disks of gas and dust discussed in the discoveries were located around the young stars DR Tau and AS 205A, located at distances of 457 light-years and 391 light-years, respectively.

Warm water found in the constellation Taurus