New molecule found in space connotes life origins

Hunting from a distance of 27,000 light years, astronomers have discovered an unusual carbon-based molecule -- one with a branched structure -- contained within a giant gas cloud in interstellar space. Like finding a molecular needle in a cosmic haystack, astronomers have detected radio waves emitted by isopropyl cyanide. The discovery suggests that the complex molecules needed for life may have their origins in interstellar space.

Organic molecules usually found in these star-forming regions consist of a single "backbone" of carbon atoms arranged in a straight chain. But the carbon structure of isopropyl cyanide branches off, making it the first interstellar detection of such a molecule, says Rob Garrod, Cornell senior research associate at the Center for Radiophysics and Space Research.

This detection opens a new frontier in the complexity of molecules that can be formed in interstellar space and that might ultimately find their way to the surfaces of planets, says Garrod. The branched carbon structure of isopropyl cyanide is a common feature in molecules that are needed for life -- such as amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. This new discovery lends weight to the idea that biologically crucial molecules, like amino acids that are commonly found in meteorites, are produced early in the process of star formation -- even before planets such as Earth are formed.

With ALMA, the group conducted a full spectral survey, looking for fingerprints of new interstellar molecules, with sensitivity and resolution 10 times greater than previous surveys. The purpose of the ALMA Observatory is to search for cosmic origins through an array of 66 sensitive radio antennas from the high elevation and dry air of northern Chile's Atacama Desert. The array of radio telescopes works together to form a gigantic "eye" peering into the cosmos.

The group also found about 50 individual features for isopropyl cyanide (and 120 for normal-propyl cyanide, its straight-chain sister molecule) were identified in the ALMA spectrum of the Sagittarius B2 region. The two molecules -- isopropyl cyanide and normal-propyl cyanide -- are also the largest molecules yet detected in any star-forming region.

New molecule found in space connotes life origins

I would best describe my beliefs as Empirical Agnostic. To me, anything and everything is possible and we have no clue what the truth actually is about the matter. For all we know, as everything is made of energy/atoms, we could be part of the universe. The Universe is what we call God & it wants to act out every single possible thing/scenario. If this is the case, it would make sense that the origins of life came from space. If not, doesn't matter, life still can have originated from Earth. After all, we see lots of other elements in space, even Hydrogen Peroxide.

a reply to: Sabiduria

Well alternatively what if life get transferred from Earth into other parts of the Universe?

a reply to: starwarsisreal

It could be a mix. Life bouncing all around, mixing here & there.

These are what are called the life bringers.....that's their job on the hierarchy of our universe.....

I hope they give a proper name to this molecule. Something like "My Ever Lovin' Boo-tay".

Come on ... seriously? 27,000 lightyears away? 'They' could say anything they want ... and nobody on these boards could disprove it ... so it's automatically believable?

a reply to: Snarl

A "Boo-tay"? You are a hoot - my wife nearly choked on her toast when she read this. However we are in the age of science above all else - which is fine by me but I woulde bet the science behind this means it has to be checked and checked again etc.

It reminded me of the 1960's idea that we are all Star Children made of star dust- so nothing appears to have changed since then.

originally posted by: Snarl
'They' could say anything they want ... and nobody on these boards could disprove it

Good job, then, that science isn't driven by people on these boards. Other astronomers, with radio telescopes, can confirm of refute those findings. That's the beauty of science - it's open to scrutiny. And these kind of discoveries have been made before, so it's an old and tried method.

The search for molecules in interstellar space began in the 1960's, and around 180 different molecular species have been discovered so far. Each type of molecule emits light at particular wavelengths, in its own characteristic pattern, or spectrum, acting like a fingerprint that allows it to be detected in space using radio telescopes.

a reply to: Sabiduria

For all we know, as everything is made of energy/atoms, we could be part of the universe.

Umm... We are part of the universe, we are made of stardust. Whether aliens came down and coded our genome, a trickster god willed us into being (beside poof magic) he/she/they had to do it from something, and science tells us we are made up of carbon, formed in stars long ago. We are stardust, no matter what you believe.

originally posted by: Snarl
Come on ... seriously? 27,000 lightyears away? 'They' could say anything they want ... and nobody on these boards could disprove it ... so it's automatically believable?

Ahem...

Spectrometers take a signal from whatever they are looking at (whether it is a rock, or a cloud or a whole planet or a star or a galaxy or a nebula, etc.) and spread the signal out into its components. Most spectrometers work with light and are a lot like extremely good prisms; they take the light coming from some object and separate it out into its colors. This is useful because it turns out that every element on the periodic table only gives off light of a few certain colors. So if we spread out the light coming from some object and see only certain colors, then we can match thoses colors to the elements that produce them. It's as if everything in the universe has a hidden fingerprint that we just need to learn how to read.

Source:Cornell

The molecules listed below were detected by spectroscopy. Their spectral features are generated by transitions of component electrons between different energy levels, or by rotational or vibrational spectra. Detection usually occurs in radio, microwave, or infrared portions of the spectrum.[1]

Interstellar molecules are formed by chemical reactions within very sparse interstellar or circumstellar clouds of dust and gas. Usually this occurs when a molecule becomes ionized, often as the result of an interaction with a cosmic ray. This positively charged molecule then draws in a nearby reactant by electrostatic attraction of the neutral molecule's electrons. Molecules can also be generated by reactions between neutral atoms and molecules, although this process is generally slower.[2] The dust plays a critical role of shielding the molecules from the ionizing effect of ultraviolet radiation emitted by stars.[3]

AINC Aluminium isocyanide[27] Mass 53

Stardust: Buckyballs, Cyano Molecules and other fun stuff.


Oh, and, I was there a few years ago too, so I can confirm.

a reply to: Sabiduria

The discovery suggests that the complex molecules needed for life may have their origins in interstellar space.

I doubt that. May they explain how these molecules "gently land" on a planet suitable for some yet undetected "life forming" process?

…the complex molecules needed for life…

Life is more than "complex molecules".

Oooo nice reads! Thanks!
S&F

a reply to: boncho

In that theory, the Universe would be sentient/omnipotent. The Universe was curious & decided to play out every single thing ever imaginable plus unimaginable. We would have been created by the Universe and are playing out our lives for the Universe.

I know that we are all made of energy/atoms, which is essentially stardust because stardust is made up of energy/atoms. Everything is made up of energy/atoms/stardust, chairs, houses, cars, everything.

If aliens messed with our genome or a trickster God willed us into being, it's the Universe's decision.

originally posted by: stirling
These are what are called the life bringers.....that's their job on the hierarchy of our universe.....

It may not be a case of "Life Bringers", but rather it may be the case that organic molecules can commonly be found in nebulae throughout the galaxy (and maybe the universe).

What I mean is that this may not be a case of organic compounds traveling the galaxy and spreading around the stuff that may eventually become life, but rather it may just be the case that the formation of organic compounds is a common thing that happens in the universe.

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People
That being the case, it may indicate that the use of DNA by living systems would be the norm.

originally posted by: Snarl
Come on ... seriously? 27,000 lightyears away? 'They' could say anything they want ... and nobody on these boards could disprove it ... so it's automatically believable?

Well, no. Scientific discoveries rely on observations and experimental results that can be duplicated by others. In fact, many scientific discoveries do not even get published until the observations or experimental results are duplicated by others.

originally posted by: Sabiduria
a reply to: boncho

In that theory, the Universe would be sentient/omnipotent. The Universe was curious & decided to play out every single thing ever imaginable plus unimaginable. We would have been created by the Universe and are playing out our lives for the Universe.

I know that we are all made of energy/atoms, which is essentially stardust because stardust is made up of energy/atoms. Everything is made up of energy/atoms/stardust, chairs, houses, cars, everything.

If aliens messed with our genome or a trickster God willed us into being, it's the Universe's decision.

You misinterpreted my meaning. In either idea, whether you believe in gods or deities, or simply an advanced culture (as some suggest), or a floating ball of life giving goo from an asteroid, because we can see the evolution of the universe, we know that we are made of star dust. Material from blown out stars ejecting material throughout the universe

NOTE TO STAFF

Although there are already a couple of threads on this topic, such as this one, I would like to plead that the present thread not be closed. That's because the source linked in this thread explains the consequences of the discovery far better than any of the others. Please take this into consideration when reviewing. Thank you for your attention.