The universe's water is billions of years older than scientists thought — and may be nearly as old as the Big Bang itself

An illustration of the horizon of a watery planet with outer space visible in the distance.

Water may have emerged in the universe far earlier than scientists thought — and it could mean that life could be billions of years older too, new research suggests.

Water is one of the most essential ingredients for life as we know it. But exactly when water first appeared has been a question of scientific interest for decades.