Oxygen Discovered in Outer Space:

European Space Agency’s (ESA) new Herschel telescope discovered oxygen, like the one we live and breathe on, on Orion’s constellation!

After hydrogen and helium, oxygen is the third most abundant element in the Universe. Its molecular structure makes life on Earth feasible and it constitutes 20% of the air we breathe. If life forms on other planets are similar to those on our planet, then they too probably need oxygen in order to survive.

In 2007, Swedish astronomers claimed that they had found oxygen in a constellation close to Orion, but unlike Herschel’s discovery, the findings were not confirmed.

The scientists’ report, which is published on Astrophysical Journal, mentioned that the oxygen was “hiding” in ice which covers the surface of cosmic dust particles.

The search still goes on since, as scientists admit “we didn’t find large quantities of oxygen and we still don’t understand what is so special about the spots it was discovered in. The Universe still has plenty of unlocked secrets”.