News Planetary Science

Asteroids could have delivered water to the early Earth

The space rocks’ impacts wouldn’t have boiled all of their water away, study suggests

Asteroid hurtling toward Earth

INCOMING  Water vapor can be trapped in glass and melted rocks that are created by an asteroid impact. The finding boosts the idea that asteroids brought water to the early Earth.

ratpack223/iStockphoto

By Lisa Grossman

This article is only available to Science News subscribers.

Subscribers, enter your e-mail address to access our archives.

Not a subscriber?

Science News is a nonprofit.

Support us by subscribing now.

More Stories from Science News on Planetary Science

  1. Mars south pole
    Space

    A ‘lake’ on Mars may be surrounded by more pools of water

    By Christopher Crockett
  2. photograph of China’s Chang'e-4 lunar lander on the moon
    Space

    A new moon radiation measurement may help determine health risks to astronauts

    By Aayushi Pratap
  3. Comet 67P's aurora
    Planetary Science

    Rosetta data reveal an invisible ultraviolet aurora around comet 67P

    By Maria Temming
  4. astronaut on moon
    Space

    How do you clean up clingy space dust? Zap it with an electron beam

    By Jack J. Lee
  5. Akatsuki spacecraft
    Space

    Phosphine gas found in Venus’ atmosphere may be ‘a possible sign of life’

    By Lisa Grossman
  6. enstatite chondrite
    Planetary Science

    Earth’s building blocks may have had far more water than previously thought

    By Christopher Crockett
  7. comet
    Astronomy

    In a first, astronomers spotted a space rock turning into a comet

    By Lisa Grossman
  8. Hubble Space Telescope during total lunar eclipse
    Astronomy

    Hubble watched a lunar eclipse to see Earth from an alien’s perspective

    By Maria Temming

From the Nature Index

Paid Content