Oxygen Molecules Found in Nearby Star-Forming Cloud

Oxygen Molecules Found in Nearby Star-Forming Cloud

www.sciencedaily.com

ScienceDaily (Aug. 1, 2011) — The European Space Agency's Herschel space observatory has found molecules of oxygen in a nearby star-forming cloud. This is the first undisputed detection of oxygen molecules in space. It concludes a long search but also leaves questions unanswered.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I figure this should be quite the evidence for people who believe that life such as our own may exist in the universe outside of earth.

This is definetely great news but as usual leaves more questions than it answers. Hopefully since NASA no longer has to dump resources into the shuttle money pit they can put out more focused research into things like this.

www.sciencedaily.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by kro32


Great.

Another point in a growing body of evidence supporting the theory of life on other planets.

Thanks for sharing.

There is already an existing thread on the same story

Herschel Telescope Detects Oxygen Molecules in Space

Does Noone understand that they're statements are wrong (partially) when they say that molecules that are primary building blocks of earthly lifeforms are evidence to support life elsewhere. It should read......

Oxygen found in space is being considered evidence that formation of life similar to that found on earth is possible.

Just because water, oxygen, and carbon are the primary building blocks of earthly life does not mean that life cannot form with a completely different chemical makeup.

Probably a dumb question but how the hell can we detect Oxygen molecules in a nearby star-forming cloud?

Thanks in advance.

Originally posted by kro32


I figure this should be quite the evidence for people who believe that life such as our own may exist in the universe outside of earth.

Stars of a certain mass form oxygen within their core. When they use up all of their fuel, they form planetary nebulae around them with the elements formed within their core (much more prevalent if they go supernova).

Basically what I'm saying is that stars are responsible for forming more complex elements than hydrogen. When they end their main sequence, this material spreads into space that ends up forming newer generations of stars and planets.

So I don't really see what is so special about this news. I'm pretty sure that even Sol has enough mass to make it to the oxygen production stage.

Please contribute additional comments to previously existing thread here: Herschel Telescope Detects Oxygen Molecules In Space.

Thank you.

Thread Closed.


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