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| The Orion Nebula |
The Herschel Space Observatory of European Space Agency discovered molecular Oxygen in outer space and had confirmed its discovery successfully. Though the Swedish Odin telescope had spotted the molecule in 2007, it had failed to confirm its discovery. Herschel used its large telescope and spectrometers for this purpose. Using the spectrometer they formed the spectrum of the light coming from Orion and discovered the chemical signature of Oxygen coming from the light source 1,500 light years away. Using three infrared frequencies of the instrument the Herschel project was successful in confirming the presence of one Oxygen molecule for every million Hydrogen molecule in Orion.
However, Oxygen in all its forms, is the third most abundant element in the universe but, the amount of free molecular Oxygen discovered is very less. Paul Goldsmith, NASA's Herschel project scientist, and his colleagues think that Oxygen discovered by Herschel was formed after starlight warmed the icy grains, melting them to water , which was converted into Oxygen molecules. Goldsmith says, "This explains where some of the oxygen might be hiding, But we didn't find large amounts of it, and still don't understand what is so special about the spots where we find it. The universe still holds many secrets." The researchers are actually contented on finding molecules of the gas which we breathe in outer space and it amazes me.However, in my opinion, if sufficient quantity of molecular oxygen is available to some planet in the godilock zone of universe, it might support alien life and this discovery would surely take us a step ahead in knowing our neighborhood in outer space.
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