A surprising discovery in the cosmos: a complex carbon molecule, cyanopyrene, has been detected outside the Solar System. What might life look like elsewhere? This cosmic discovery may reveal one of its secrets.
Researchers from MIT and the University of British Columbia found this molecule in the Taurus Molecular Cloud, an extremely cold region where stars are born. Cyanopyrene, detected for the first time outside the Solar System, belongs to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (
PAHs), a category of carbon-rich molecules essential to life.
The scientific team observed the radio signature of this molecule using the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia. This powerful device revealed the presence of cyanopyrene 430 light-years from Earth. A significant first.
PAHs, essential to organic chemistry, are often produced by combustion on Earth, and their formation in the chilly interstellar environment remains a mystery. According to the researchers, their discovery in such a cold cloud suggests that carbon traveled intact.
Other PAHs have previously been found in meteorites, asteroids, and comets. Their presence in the cosmos strengthens the idea that they played a crucial role in the emergence of the first organic elements. Cyanopyrene could be one of the major reservoirs of complex carbon in the Universe.
To identify this molecule, the researchers had to synthesize it in the lab and then compare its radio signature with the one captured in space. This match confirmed the existence of cyanopyrene in the molecular cloud.
Martin McCoustra, a researcher in astrochemistry, believes this molecule reveals valuable clues about ancient chemical reactions, potentially linked to the origins of life. A true chemical time machine.
This work also paves the way for exploring other complex molecules in the cosmos. The MIT team is already planning to investigate larger PAHs and unravel the mysteries of their cosmic origins.
Article author: Cédric DEPOND