Posted on 10/26/2011 11:05:29 AM PDT by decimon
In today's issue of the journal Nature, astronomers report that organic compounds of unexpected complexity exist throughout the Universe. The results suggest that complex organic compounds are not the sole domain of life but can be made naturally by stars.
Prof. Sun Kwok and Dr. Yong Zhang of the University of Hong Kong show that an organic substance commonly found throughout the Universe contains a mixture of aromatic (ring-like) and aliphatic (chain-like) components. The compounds are so complex that their chemical structures resemble those of coal and petroleum. Since coal and oil are remnants of ancient life, this type of organic matter was thought to arise only from living organisms. The team's discovery suggests that complex organic compounds can be synthesized in space even when no life forms are present.
The researchers investigated an unsolved phenomenon: a set of infrared emissions detected in stars, interstellar space, and galaxies. These spectral signatures are known as "Unidentified Infrared Emission features". For over two decades, the most commonly accepted theory on the origin of these signatures has been that they come from simple organic molecules made of carbon and hydrogen atoms, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. From observations taken by the Infrared Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope, Kwok and Zhang showed that the astronomical spectra have features that cannot be explained by PAH molecules. Instead, the team proposes that the substances generating these infrared emissions have chemical structures that are much more complex. By analyzing spectra of star dust formed in exploding stars called novae, they show that stars are making these complex organic compounds on extremely short time scales of weeks.
(Excerpt) Read more at eurekalert.org ...
Because the article says “infrared emissions detected from stars, interstellar space and galaxies.” No need to start small as it is already detected to be larger than our galaxy.
That is an interesting question. With coal we have peat, lignite, subbitumunious, bituminous and anthracite as some of the main steps. However, I have not heard of anything similar for oil representing “unfinished oil.” Anyone??
Yer missin the point. The universe is a very large place. To extrapolate the existence of complex organic matter (aka life) throughout the universe based on such flimsy data is amazing.
Probably a scientist well trained in global warming theory.
With coal we have peat, lignite, subbitumunious, bituminous and anthracite as some of the main steps.That's the gradualist view, but the evidence is for sudden deposition of deposits, rapid burials. This isn't to say that this didn't take place many times over millions of years of course.
Complex organic matter isn’t a.k.a. life.
Sure it is.
or·gan·ic (ôr-gnk)
adj.
1. Of, relating to, or derived from living organisms: organic matter.
So, hydrocarbons and water are among the basic building blocks of the universe.
And, are closely related to the basic building blocks of life forms.
So while the universe beyond earth looks to be a cold dead debris field, the building blocks for life are there already. Waiting for us to get there I suppose.
Extraterrestrial hydrocarbons have been known for some time, within the Solar System. The only evidence for biological activity off the Earth has been controversial fossil evidence, and Gilbert Levin’s experiment aboard the Viking lander on Mars.
We couldn’t spot a vacation home on one of Jupiter’s moons from here, much less around another star.
You’re right that we’ve seen no evidence of biological activity. I’m not really expecting any (though if we found some it wouldn’t upset my applecart...) But the building blocks are there, quite simply because we are made of the same stuff.
We’re an island of life in a dead universe, but the elements are all there for life to spread. I assume that our purpose includes spreading it...
Its going to take a while though, since we haven’t figured how to get ourselves off earth in any numbers or for any length of time. (And, then, there is all that radiation waiting to cook us once we get away from earth...) But I believe this is something we need to be doing. Its our “destiny”.
The problem is that the propulsion systems we can devise now won’t take us anywhere that can support life per se. Centuries from now, humans could be scattered among the stars — assuming that the spaces aren’t already occupado. And that of course means that we take care of the Moslem problem first.
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