Science

First-Ever Sugar Molecules Discovered in Space Could Give Clues to ‘How Life Might Arise Elsewhere’

BERLIN (TheBlaze/AP) — Astronomers say that, for the first time, they have discovered one of the ingredients of life – sugar – in a gas cloud surrounding a young star.

The team of European and American astronomers says it spotted a simple sugar molecule called glycolaldehyde near a 10,000-year-old star similar to the sun.

Scientists Find First Simple Sugar Molecules Building Block for Life Near Star 400 Light Years Away

Artists rendition of glycolaldehyde molecules found near a star 400 light years away from Earth. (Photo: ESO/L. Calçada via Space.com)

Glycolaldehyde is needed to form ribonucleic acid, or RNA, which is similar in function to DNA.

Jes Jorgensen of the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, said Wednesday that the glycolaldehyde was likely formed by radiation from the star hitting even simpler molecules floating through space.

“In the disk of gas and dust surrounding this newly formed star, we found glycolaldehyde, which is a simple form of sugar, not much different to the sugar we put in coffee,” Jorgensen said in a statement, according to Space.com. ”This molecule is one of the ingredients in the formation of RNA, which — like DNA, to which it is related — is one of the building blocks of life.”

The star, called IRAS 16293-2422, is about 400 light years from Earth. The molecules was found using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope at the European Southern Observatory in Chile.

Space.com reports study researcher Cécile Favre with Aarhus University in Denmark saying the molecules were observed falling toward the star indicating they are “not only in the right place to find their way onto a planet, but they are also going in the right direction.”

Watch this animation of the discovery via Space.com:

Overall, Jorgesen said the “big question” is how complex these molecules would need to become before being incorporated into new planets.

“This could tell us something about how life might arise elsewhere, and ALMA observations are going to be vital to unravel this mystery,” Jorgesen said.

Details of the discovery will be published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Featured image via Shutterstock.com.

Comments (34)

  • Old_Warrior
    Posted on August 30, 2012 at 8:55am

    Awww, isn’t that sweet?

    Report Post » Old_Warrior  
  • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
    Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:52am

    Obviously, god put the sugar out there, since every Creationist knows, the chemistry of life can’t possibly arise out of the chaos of the universe.

    Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
  • yiddishlion
    Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:13am

    Anyone who actually thinks they can tell what molecules are that far out in space are dumb enough to give them more research money.

    Report Post » yiddishlion  
    • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
      Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:51am

      Anyone stupid enough to besmirch radio astronomy because they can’t understand it is too dumb to be able to operate a keyboard, or to be trusted to sit the right way on a toilet seat.

      Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
  • RetiredAmericanNavyTaxpayer
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 9:46pm

    Ok, so a simple suger molecule forms in space from the action of sunlight on free carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms. But now that there is increased mass the sun’s gravitation attraction has a greater effect on them and they are pulled into the sun and become not-sugar. Aw shucks, back to square one AGAIN.

    NOBAMA
    **2012**

    Report Post » RetiredAmericanNavyTaxpayer  
    • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
      Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:59am

      Yes, because as we all know, there are nothing like planets orbitting any stars in the universe whatsoever, since when they formed, they all fell into their parent stars.

      You dolt. THIS star’s cloud, this YOUNG star’s proto-planetary cloud shows the sugars falling into it. Nothing in this report made a claim that a sugar nebula MUST fall into the star and be destroyed. In fact, most of the mass of a proto-planetary nebula is blown OUT of the forming solar system by the radiation pressure of the stellar wind.

      Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
    • RetiredAmericanNavyTaxpayer
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 12:22am

      “(T)he molecules were observed FALLING TOWARD THE STAR indicating they are “not only in the right place to find their way onto a planet, but they are also going in the right direction.”

      The article unfortunately neglected to mention that there were any planets already extant or observed to be in the process of forming.

      So let’s try an hypothesis. Since sugar molecules are complex carbon/oxygen/hydrogen chains and are presumably (a favorite scientific “weasel word) denser than the gases in the cloud plus would probably (another weasel word) join together in crystaline structures having a greater mass and therefore a greater gravitational attraction than said gases, said gases would coalesce around them, adding more mass and later on (maybe 2,000,000 years) being dense enough to attract the space dust that has been queing up waiting to join in on the building of this new sugar-based planet. Sweet!

      Call me in 50,000,000 years when the new planet is formed, cooled and has developed an atmosphere and all those other tedious but necessary details and we’ll see if those left-over sugar moledcules get busy re-inventing DNA. That is, if a vagrant black hole doesn’t come by and suck them all in. :-)

      /sarc

      NOBAMA
      **2012**

      Report Post » RetiredAmericanNavyTaxpayer  
  • CROCK-HANDLER
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 8:45pm

    Did they find one lump or two?

    Report Post »  
  • txjb
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 5:03pm

    With all the Big Foot sightings and no one has a good pic of it but , they have pics of sugar in outer space and know where it came from .

    Report Post »  
  • Alternative Present
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 4:40pm

    Sugar is the main ingredient of Shine ya know, Be Happy

    Report Post »  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 2:28pm

    SCIENCE can only study that which can be observed.
    Here is the tautology:
    If God exist’s, then God is everywhere; therefore God cannot studied because God cannot be separated out.
    and the converse
    If God does not exist, then God is nowhere; therefore God cannot be studied because God cannot be brought into existence if God does not exist.

    Science CANNOT prove nor disprove the existence of God. Science can only describe/define the natural “world” around us.

    Report Post » Stoic one  
    • VanceUppercut
      Posted on August 29, 2012 at 9:02pm

      @Stoic one
      By your logic science cannot prove whether or not the tooth fairy exists.

      Report Post »  
    • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
      Posted on August 30, 2012 at 6:03am

      COMPUTER: What was Kiri-Kin-Tha’s first law of Metaphysics?
      SPOCK: Nothing unreal exists.
      – Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

      Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
  • vaman
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 2:11pm

    Of course some of you dolts find a way to angle god in to this story. Once again, good job blaze. God works in mysterious ways? Haha. That’s it? Or without god, there wouldn’t be science? Haha. What’s that nonsense? Every day science finds something new and incredible and the dumbest of our society try to bend and conform science to their baseless superstitions. It must be scary knowing that every day we progress, religion becomes less and less believable, useful or powerful. Information is the enemy of religion.

    Report Post »  
    • THE_SUPPLANTER
      Posted on August 29, 2012 at 2:48pm

      @Vaman

      Interestingly, you call people who see science as nothing more than a way to help explain God’s mysteries “Dolts.” Does believing in, as you say, a science that is constantly changing, constantly being rethought, constantly altered make you intelligent? Or do you think that the scientists of some tomorrow-year will look back at the silly notions of the science of yester-year (think blood-letting, early models of the atom, etc.) as “Dolts” for putting their blind faith in the ignorant scientists of the day?

      You keep believing in your science and having your beliefs change as science changes. That’s fine. But calling those of us who understand science in its proper perspective of helping us describe the universe that God has created “Dolts” is simply an ad hominem attack and unbecoming of an “enlightened” individual. You do not address the possibility that we have been educated and realize that science is a limited tool that does its best at describing God’s creations. I, for one, know there is a God, and science cannot disprove it.

      Report Post »  
    • GodHatesFigs
      Posted on August 29, 2012 at 4:09pm

      The fact that science is self-correcting is a positive. Scientific knowledge doesn’t get overturned every few years, it is refined and aims to get closer and closer to the truth. I think the scientists of tomorrow will look back and the scientists of today and appreciate the scaffolding of knowledge our current science has built for them to expand on.

      Report Post » GodHatesFigs  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on August 29, 2012 at 4:27pm

      @VAMAN
      Do you believe in freedom of thought? Also, why do YOU care what we believe, or not? You have free will, you can do, believe, whatever you want as long as it doen’t affect me.

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • THE_SUPPLANTER
      Posted on August 29, 2012 at 7:22pm

      @GodHater

      You are right in the fact that science self-correcting is a good thing… as is the self-correction found by following God’s laws. The world would be a better place by following eternal truths found in both science and scripture.

      Report Post »  
    • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
      Posted on August 30, 2012 at 6:10am

      @ The Supplanter:
      Religion is as man practices it. God’s law once said that man as at the center of the universe, which meant the sun, planets, and stars all must orbit around the Earth, which we all KNEW to be true, because it was god’s law. And then the scientist Galileo same along and made direct observations of the universe that showed conslusively that things orbit things in the universe OTHER than the Earth. He was arrested and jailed for his heresy.

      …

      Good work, religion.

      If you want to throw your hat into the ring with the inflexible, “unchangeable”, “eternal” laws of your god, be my guest. Just stay out of the way of the adults dealing in real science and real laws.

      Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
  • THE_SUPPLANTER
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 2:07pm

    And in other news… scientists have discovered what appears to be a cog in a timepiece. They speculate that this could give insight as to how clocks and watches might arise elsewhere. They will keep observing the cog to unravel this mystery.

    Report Post »  
    • txjb
      Posted on August 29, 2012 at 4:58pm

      Several cogs have been captured years ago near Colorado Springs , a Tx. A&M aggie , thank God he was there , saw something no one else did , he mounted them under a train and said these cogs can take the train up Pikes Peak and – oh wait someone outside yelling police !! open up !!

      Report Post »  
  • jackact
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:42pm

    Uh oh, Bloomberg is on the way….

    Report Post »  
  • TROLLMONGER
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:40pm

    But according to the right wing Beckbots bible a man and woman magically appeared on this planet without any evolution what so ever. And there is no way their bible can be wrong because it always tells the truth without a agenda…LOL!

    Report Post » TROLLMONGER  
    • SacredHonor1776
      Posted on August 29, 2012 at 2:30pm

      You do realize that belief in creationism is neither liberal or conservative topic, hmm? …or are you you just plain ignorant about religion and culture?

      There are many liberal Democrats who are christians and believe in creationism… Just as there are many conservative Republicans who believe creationism….

      Of course Christians are not the only cultural or religious beliefs that believe in some form of a ‘Creation’ on this earth…

      Muslims for example believe in a creation for example, and many are liberal Democrats or support Democrats…

      Report Post »  
  • thegreatcarnac
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:32pm

    God made everything. Therefore everything has a common thread in it. Of course there is sugar molecules in space. There is probably every molecule you can think of floating out there somewhere. It shows that all came from a single mind and source. The fact that they find a molecule here and there means nothing new in the scheme of things. You may find a nail on the ground but that does not mean that eventually this nail will get up, get in contact with a board and become a house.

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:21pm

    You can find all the ingredients,but there is no life unless God creates it.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • Hydra
      Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:34pm

      You people and your blind faith are amazingly stupid. But good for you.

      Report Post » Hydra  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on August 29, 2012 at 4:03pm

      You people in your blindness are amazingly stupid, but good for you.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
  • MDDAWG
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:12pm

    Good for these scientists! They are finding enlightening information.
    Remember, though, God works in mysterious ways.
    He most likely used “natural” processes to create this earth. No true science will contradict the way God created the earth.

    Report Post » MDDAWG  
    • PATTY HENRY
      Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:21pm

      Since GOD created all of it…ever last thing…including SCIENCE, I’ve never found any conflict as much as some Atheists try their best and spend BILLIONS to “prove” somehow that GOD doesn’t exist but yet, no matter what, they cannot get away from whoever caused the bang. Don’t be distressed with them…I’ve met more than one who said “I started out in Science to prove there is not God, but the more I tried, the more convinced I became that there was indeed a GOD” (One even left the field of Science and became a Priest!)

      Report Post » PATTY HENRY  
    • GodHatesFigs
      Posted on August 29, 2012 at 4:37pm

      If your answer is “God caused the big bang,” then who caused God. And if God does not need a cause, why does the universe need one?

      Report Post » GodHatesFigs  
  • sWampy
    Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:07pm

    Mmmmk, boy they like to take big assumptions these days.

    Report Post »  

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