Astronomers once thought comets, such as Halley’s Comet (top), could be the source of Earth’s water. But the amount of heavy water (D2O) these icy bodies carry doesn’t match the amount found on Earth. Researchers then turned to water-rich asteroids, such as the one in this artist’s impression (bottom), as a more likely source of water.
From top: NASA; Mark A. Garlick, space-art.co.uk, University of Warwick