Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have gathered observational evidence pointing to a population of exocomets surrounding the nascent star PDS 70.
These bodies are dominated by ice and, analogous to comets in our own Solar System, could transport water toward the terrestrial planet zone of the system.
The data were obtained using the Very Large Telescope operated by the European Southern Observatory and reveal spectral features consistent with water vapor in the vicinity of the icy bodies.
While direct detection of water on the exocomets remains pending, the measurements indicate that sublimation of the ice releases water molecules that drift inward toward the star’s debris disk.
The findings lend support to the idea that comet‑like objects may have been a significant source of water for the early Earth.