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.

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By Lisa Grossman

- More than 2 years ago

Shooting small rocks from a high-speed cannon showed that some asteroids could have brought water to the early Earth — without all the water boiling away on impact, a new study finds.