The discovery of anthracene in deep space could help solve the long-standing astrophysics puzzle concerning the formation of organic molecules in space
The study was published in the scientific journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
"We detected the existence of the anthracene molecule in a compressed cloud in the direction of the star Cernis52 in the Perseus constellation, located about 700 light years from the Sun," explains Susana Iglesias Groth, the lead researcher.
In her opinion, the next step will be to check whether amino acid molecules are also found. Molecules like anthracin are prebiotics, so when they are exposed to ultraviolet radiation and combine with water and ammonia, they can form amino acids and other essential components for the development of life.
"Two years ago", says Iglesias, "we found proof of the existence of other organic molecules, naphthalene, in the same place, so all the data indicates that we found a formation area rich in chemical probiotics". So far, anthracene has only been found in meteorites and never in the interstellar medium. The oxidized form of this molecule is common in living systems that are biochemically active. In DHA, oxidized anthracin is a basic component in plants from the Hallow family.
The new findings suggest that a large portion of the key components in terrestrial prebiotic compounds may be found in interstellar matter.
Since the 80s, hundreds of bands known as "diffuse spectroscopic bands" have been found in the spectrum of the interstellar medium. The scientists knew that these bands were related to the interstellar material, but their origin was not discovered until now. The discovery indicates that they may originate from molecules based on anthracene or naphthalene. Since they are scattered throughout space, they may have played a central role in making any type of organic molecules that were present when the solar system formed.
7 תגובות
The discovery of organic molecules in the interstellar medium is not evidence that there is life in space. There may be life somewhere in space, but the building blocks of those creatures are different from the building blocks of man. That's why the relationship with you may not have been established.
Ail.A,
If you are in a third world war in this century, you may still witness the explosion of a planet - the one we live on!
A. Ben Ner,
It doesn't seem to me that amino acids can survive the explosion of an entire planet.
Ben-Ner,
Exploding planet? I don't know of such a phenomenon. Perhaps you meant a supernova, which is an explosion of the sun. Then if there was a planet containing life in the system then it is likely that from the supernova there is no trace left of matter except for elements maybe, but certainly not for complex organic molecules.
Alex,
It seems to me that this is exactly what the news is all about - that the spectral signature in this area has been deciphered and which belongs to these molecules.
If there is no life in nebulae with a lot of heat, chemistry and light, I will be tempted to believe in religions again.
First of all, it is necessary to prove unequivocally that the absorption patterns in the spectrum belong to the mentioned molecules and are not a combination of patterns from other, simpler molecules, or originating from a completely different mechanism. And if this is proven, then the road to finding the mechanism for the formation of these molecules is still very long.
It would be fascinating to discover that there is life in the interstellar soup, as impossible as it sounds now.
Successfully.
As usual, each significant discovery solves one puzzle and creates another puzzle in its wake.
And the riddle is, is the anthracin that is found, and the amino acids that (maybe) they will find,
Are formed in space spontaneously or are the result of a planet "exploding".
that life developed on it, similar to the XNUMXth century.