Are we drinking water older than our solar system?!

Yes! You read the title correctly.

When I heard what seems like this insignificant little fact, I was like most people: “It’s interesting but, whatever”, you know. But then after really thinking about it and doing some research, I was mind-blown at the magnitude of its effect that is felt reverberating throughout our entire solar system. Let me explain why.

So, on Sept. 25, 2014, in a study published in Science, it was revealed that the “distinct chemical signature on Earth and throughout the solar system could only occur if some of that water formed before the swirling disk of dust and gas gave birth to the planets, moons, comet and asteroids.”

Some of the water molecules in the water you drink were created more than 4.5 billion years ago!

Which is absolutely crazy to think about in comparison to human’s itty-bitty time existing in the enormous timespan of the universe. Compared to most other species, we have taken up such an insignificant fraction of time of the Universe that we would barely be toddlers.

This ancient water is also estimated to make up about 30% to 50% of the water on Earth, according to new research. This is no small number. Even just 30% is estimated to equal about 109.7 quintillion gallons of water.

This means that a good majority of the water we drink predates the Earth, the solar system, and even the sun itself!

While this might sound like it’s no big deal and nothing really life-altering to most of us living out our normal lives here on Earth, the science community however, was definitely stunned.

Many researchers, astronomers, and scientist were astonished at the discovery of such a primordial substance that has been around before anything was anything here in our solar system. Something that we usually just take for granted, mindlessly drinking away without knowing the origin and breadth of history behind it.

Not only that, but the fact of this ancient body of water coming from another source raises even more questions that made scientist rethink and ponder about what we know about the Earth, the planets, and the true history and narrative that really brought everything to where it is today.

“Well if it did come from another source…, then where… and how?” Countless questions like these were being brought to light and giving scientists even more mysteries and holes they have to fill. It just doesn’t make sense if you say, “yeah this body of water came from over there a long time ago and now its’s here”. For the conditions and timing for all this to happen would change quite a bit of what is known about how everything came in to place in our solar system.

Like, where did such a huge body of water even come from? If it impacted Earth in an icy form and melted over time, wouldn’t we see remnants of this impact on Earth? Wouldn’t something that large have greatly changed the geometry of the Earth? There are endless number of theories and speculations scientists have been formulating to answer how and where this water came from. And how exactly did our solar system with its planets, moons, and asteroids, ended up in their current state and place today because of it?

This is one of the coolest things about the universe in my opinion. It’s like as soon as they find the answer to one thing, a pandora box of new questions, problems, and realities open up. Making it seem as if there will always be infinite number of questions to solve.

It just seems like a mind-blowing, consciousness-expanding piece of information when I found it out at the time, that I really hope many of you reading can feel too.

I’ve always been curious as to the creation of all life, the universe, the endless void of space, and mankind’s true origins. So, any fact about the wonderous depth of the history of the universe like what I’m sharing, gets me into that child-like wonder and awe of the ever mysterious world we live in.

Just imagine with every sip of water you drink, you are taking in the universe with you.

Like the notion of everything being connected as one. First being expressed back in time when ancient civilizations uttered understandings of the universe. In how we and everything that has ever been or will ever be, is always infinitely connected as one. No matter how separate and different things might seem. But, that’s a topic for another day.

I want to thank you for reading my article and I hope you got something out it, even if it is just that little obscure fact that you now know.

Till next time.