"Chemical profiling traces the source of water in one of the brightest known comets to keep returning to the Solar System."
"Our home planet seems to share its heritage with a famous comet. By analysing the chemical make-up of the comet 12P/Pons-Brooks - which was discovered in 1812 and passes close to the Earth every 71 years - astronomers have deduced that its water comes from the same source as our own oceans."
Chemical profiling shows that the water in comet 12P/Pons-Brooks shares the same source as Earth's oceans. The comet is one of the brightest known and returns to the inner Solar System roughly every 71 years. 12P/Pons-Brooks was discovered in 1812 and passes close to Earth on its periodic orbit. Analysis of the comet's chemical make-up reveals isotopic similarities between its water and terrestrial ocean water. The shared chemical signature supports a common reservoir or formation region for some Solar System water and informs models of Solar System chemical evolution.
Read at Nature
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