All articles tagged with #cosmic chemistry
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have found evidence of 'dinosaur-like' supermassive stars in the early universe, which likely collapsed into black holes and contributed to the formation of supermassive black holes observed today, based on unique chemical signatures in a distant galaxy.
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected complex organic molecules, including ethanol and other key ingredients, around two youthful protostars, shedding light on the chemical-rich regions where planets are formed. These findings could provide insights into the origins of organic materials in our solar system and potentially habitable worlds. The telescope's powerful abilities, including its giant mirror and infrared view, allow it to peer into the deepest cosmos and revolutionize our understanding of distant exoplanets, offering the potential for groundbreaking discoveries in the search for habitable worlds.
Astronauts have reported smelling ozone, burnt steak, and gunpowder-like odors after spacewalks, likely due to the chemistry of space interacting with their spacesuits. Space is not completely odorless, with molecules like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in charred food also occurring in space. Different cosmic locations have unique odors, such as the rotten egg and urine-like smell of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and the gasoline-like scent of Saturn's moon Titan. Even interstellar clouds like Sagittarius B2 contain aromatic chemistry, with the presence of alcohol and ethyl formate, which gives raspberries and rum their sweet fragrances.