A sweet discovery: Astronomers say sugar is lurking in the space between stars
Summary
Astronomers have found a type of sugar called erythrulose in the thin clouds of gas and dust between stars in our galaxy. This sugar is one of the most complex detected in space and could help explain how life began on Earth and whether life might exist elsewhere in the universe.Key Facts
- Erythrulose is a sugar also used in raspberries and self-tanning products.
- It was detected in the interstellar medium, the space between stars filled with gas and dust.
- Researchers used two radio telescopes in Spain to observe a large gas cloud near the Milky Way’s center.
- The sugar was identified by matching telescope signals to lab samples.
- This discovery was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
- Scientists have found other sugars and life-building molecules in space, including near where NASA’s Voyager spacecraft passed.
- The sugar can convert to forms thought to be important for starting life on Earth.
- The finding supports the idea that key ingredients for life existed in space before our solar system formed.
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