Astronomers Have Found a Sugar Molecule in Deep Space for the First Time Ever
Astronomers have detected the sugar molecule erythrulose in a molecular cloud near the center of the Milky Way. This discovery provides new insights into how prebiotic organic molecules might have been delivered to Earth via meteorites.
Why it matters
Understanding the presence of complex organic molecules in space helps scientists solve the mystery of how life originated on Earth.
Erythrulose has four carbon atoms, and on Earth, it occurs naturally in some fruits. Its presence 26,000 light-years away could help untangle the mystery of the origin of life on our planet.
The study was published this week in Nature Astronomy. The team, led by Izaskun Jiménez Serra, analyzed data captured by radio telescopes in Spain to identify the molecule’s signature in the microwave frequencies it produces as it rotates.
Sugar molecules are essential for life. They fuel cells and are part of RNA and DNA. Yet scientists still don't know how they accumulated in large enough quantities on the early Earth. One possibility is that some of the molecules did not originate on the planet but instead reached Earth via meteorites.
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