Sugar in space? Astronomers find sweet clue to the origin of life
Astronomers have detected the sugar molecule erythrulose in the interstellar medium near the center of the Milky Way. This discovery provides further evidence that the chemical building blocks for life may originate in space rather than being delivered solely by comets.
Why it matters
Understanding the presence of complex organic molecules in space helps scientists determine how life began on Earth and whether similar conditions exist elsewhere.
The space between stars just got a little sweeter.Astronomers have detected a type of sugar in space that is also found in raspberries and self-tanners. The sugar, called erythrulose, lurks in what is known as the interstellar medium — thin clouds of gas and dust scattered between stars.Sugar does more than sweeten tea and coat doughnuts. Different varieties fuel our cells and make up DNA, and scientists are eager to understand how sugars form because they are a key ingredient for life as we know it.Using two dish-shaped radio telescopes in Spain, researchers collected data from a large gas cloud near the centre of the Milky Way.They identified the sugar in gas form by comparing telescope signals to samples gathered in a lab.
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