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Frozen sugar at center of Milky Way
The Scotsman ^ | Rhiannon Edward

Posted on 09/22/2004 6:06:58 PM PDT by zide56

Astronomers have found a cloud of frozen sugar near the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way, it was revealed yesterday.

The discovery heightens the possibility of early building blocks of life originating in interstellar space.

Molecules of a simple sugar, glycolaldehyde, were detected in a cloud of gas and dust called Sagittarius B2 about 26,000 light years away.

Observations indicated large quantities of the sugar frozen to a temperature only a few degrees above absolute zero, the point at which all molecular movement stops.

Glycolaldehyde consists of two carbon atoms, two oxygen atoms and four hydrogen atoms.

This type of molecule is known as a two-carbon sugar. Significantly, it can react with a three-carbon sugar to produce the five-carbon sugar ribose - the molecule which forms the backbone of DNA.

The discovery adds to the growing evidence that the foundations of life can be traced to chemical reactions within interstellar clouds.

The clouds, which are often many light years across, provide the raw material from which new stars and planets are formed.

Radio astronomer Dr Jan Hollis, from the American space agency NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Green- belt, Maryland, said: "Many of the interstellar molecules discovered to date are the same kinds detected in laboratory experiments specifically designed to synthesise prebiotic molecules.

"This fact suggests a universal prebiotic chemistry."

Gravitational attraction causes lumps to form in interstellar clouds which eventually condense into stars and planets.

The process generates so much heat that any prebiotic molecules within the planetary lumps would probably be destroyed.

But the new findings show that life’s building blocks could exist in the frozen wastes beyond the planet-building zone of an embryonic solar system, where comets form.

A collision with a comet or a brush with a comet’s tail could then "seed" a young planet with the material needed to kick-start life.

The Green Bank Telescope which was used in the study is the world’s largest fully-steerable radio telescope. Its dish covers more than two acres of signal-collecting area.

Dr Philip Jewell, another member of the Green Bank team, said: "The large diameter and great precision of the telescope made this discovery possible, and also holds the promise of discovering additional new complex interstellar molecules."


TOPICS: Astronomy
KEYWORDS: crevolist; space
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Mmmm...sugar...
1 posted on 09/22/2004 6:06:59 PM PDT by zide56
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To: zide56

Sweet!


2 posted on 09/22/2004 6:08:46 PM PDT by NoControllingLegalAuthority
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To: PatrickHenry; RadioAstronomer

a little something to sweeten the science threads?


3 posted on 09/22/2004 6:09:06 PM PDT by longshadow
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To: zide56

I thought there was creamy nougat at the middle of a Milky Way.


4 posted on 09/22/2004 6:09:45 PM PDT by brewcrew
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To: zide56

I thought creamy nougat was at the center of a Milky Way? That, or carmelized sugar, but frozen?


5 posted on 09/22/2004 6:09:57 PM PDT by Blogger
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To: zide56

LOL! Homer is DA MAN!


6 posted on 09/22/2004 6:10:03 PM PDT by FesterUSMC
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To: zide56

7 posted on 09/22/2004 6:10:37 PM PDT by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: zide56

There has to be a public relations genius working for that candy company!


8 posted on 09/22/2004 6:11:11 PM PDT by Mobties
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To: zide56

Thank you for such a sweet post.


9 posted on 09/22/2004 6:11:43 PM PDT by Fiddlstix (This Tagline for sale. (Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: zide56
glycolaldehyde

But does it count as a net carb?

j/k I know it's not *that* kind of sugar. :P

10 posted on 09/22/2004 6:12:05 PM PDT by Lil'freeper (You do not have the plug-in required to view this tagline.)
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To: Blogger

Ha! Beat ya by 12 seconds! :)


11 posted on 09/22/2004 6:12:13 PM PDT by brewcrew
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To: zide56
Frozen sugar at center of Milky Way

Well, yeah, if you leave it in the freezer. Duh.
12 posted on 09/22/2004 6:12:13 PM PDT by Xenalyte (Anything is possible when you don't understand how anything happens.)
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To: longshadow
Sounds like a To me
13 posted on 09/22/2004 6:12:35 PM PDT by listenhillary (We are defending the peace by taking the fight to the enemy.GWB)
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To: zide56
Frozen sugar at center of Milky Way

I like frozen Snickers better.

14 posted on 09/22/2004 6:12:47 PM PDT by TigersEye (Free speech is only for Democrats.)
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To: zide56

15 posted on 09/22/2004 6:12:48 PM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: zide56
Observations indicated large quantities of the sugar frozen to a temperature only a few degrees above absolute zero

That's nougat!

16 posted on 09/22/2004 6:12:49 PM PDT by Gumption
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To: zide56
Surrounded by orbiting peanuts and yummy nougat, perhaps?
17 posted on 09/22/2004 6:12:55 PM PDT by Mr. Jazzy (Kerry broke the faith, pure and simple.)
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To: zide56

Sugar! Who'da thunk it?!
Does this mean there's chocolate at the center of black holes?
Ohhhh, I hope so!
I knew I liked this galaxy for a reason!


18 posted on 09/22/2004 6:13:07 PM PDT by ClearBlueSky (Whenever someone says it's not about Islam...it's about Islam. Jesus loves you, Allah wants you dead)
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To: NoControllingLegalAuthority

What did they find at the center of Mars Bars??? Probably same thing.


19 posted on 09/22/2004 6:14:19 PM PDT by KnutCase
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To: zide56

Where there's sugar, there's beer.


20 posted on 09/22/2004 6:14:35 PM PDT by Ruddles
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