Signs Of Water Found On Distant Planets

nphillips writes "According to this article at CNN, an Italian team has found evidence of water on three planetary systems. The team used a 32-meter radio telescope to search for water maser emissions, telltale microwaves which could indicate water in a planet's atmosphere when it is bathed in the infrared light of its star."

Comments

groan

[kin_korn_karn]

1) water maser emissions? Geez, what's next, they can smell it from here?

2) how far away are these planets? Are they far enough away that by the time these "maser emissions" get to us that the water is gone?

Re:Ice == Water, right?

[GreenPhreak]

That is not true, there is strong evidence that Water exists at the poles of Mars and on Europa. In fact, there is evidence that water exists at the poles of the Moon, and Mercury as well.

But it frustrates me that so many scientists always seem to believe that water in a liquid form is a necessity of life. Just because it was required in our form of life doesn't mean that there aren't silicon-based life forms out there, or bacteria that thrive in environments other than H20.

Water, water everywhere (S&T this month)

[Anonymous Coward]

The latest issue of Sky and Telescope (subscription print version) has an excellent article on H20 as a ubiquitous phenomena in the universe.
Excellent read re: this topic.