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Heavy Water Discovered in Protoplanetary Disk, Shaping Solar Origins

10/20/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Astronomers detected heavy water (D2O) in a protoplanetary disk around the star V883 Orionis in the Orion constellation, about 1,300 light-years away.
This marks the first observation of heavy water in a planet-forming disk.
The University of Milan led the study, published in Nature Astronomy.
The findings imply that solar system water may predate the Sun, as heavy water forms in cold conditions and travels from interstellar clouds to planets.

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Story summary

Astronomers detected heavy water (D2O) in a protoplanetary disk around the star V883 Orionis in the Orion constellation, about 1,300 light-years away.
This marks the first observation of heavy water in a planet-forming disk.
The University of Milan led the study, published in Nature Astronomy.
The findings imply that solar system water may predate the Sun, as heavy water forms in cold conditions and travels from interstellar clouds to planets.