In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have identified complex organic molecules beyond the Milky Way galaxy, marking a significant advancement in our understanding of cosmic chemistry. A team of astrophysicists from Keele University, in collaboration with an international research group supported by NASA, made this remarkable detection in the ice surrounding a young star designated ST6, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
This research, which could transform our comprehension of how the essential elements of life disseminate throughout the universe, involved the use of advanced instruments aboard the James Webb Space Telescope. The team successfully identified five distinct carbon-based compounds in the stellar ice, including methanol and ethanol—two familiar types of alcohol—as well as methyl formate, acetaldehyde, and acetic acid, the latter being the primary component of vinegar.
Notably, acetic acid has never been definitively detected in space until now. The findings signify the first instances of ethanol, methyl formate, and acetaldehyde being observed in ices outside our galaxy, establishing a new frontier for the exploration of organic chemistry in the cosmos.
The detailed results of this study have been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, a leading publication that focuses on significant discoveries in astrophysics and astronomy. This discovery not only expands the existing knowledge of organic chemistry beyond the Milky Way, but it also raises intriguing questions about the potential for life”s building blocks to exist elsewhere in the universe.
