Sugar Found Floating in Interstellar Gas Clouds

A type of sugar called erythrulose the same one found in raspberries has been detected in thin clouds of gas and dust drifting between stars. An international team led by Spain’s Centre of Astrobiology made the landmark find, publishing results in Nature Astronomy. This marks the first-ever detection of sugars directly in interstellar space.

Sugar Between the Stars, What Scientists Found

An international team of scientists has detected a form of sugar floating in interstellar gas clouds and it is the same sugar found in raspberries. The compound, erythrulose, turned up in thin, wispy clouds of gas and dust scattered between stars. Researchers from Spain’s Centre of Astrobiology led the study, which appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy.

How the Discovery Was Made

Scientists collected data from a large molecular gas cloud near the centre of the Milky Way. They used two powerful radio telescopes both located in Spain. By comparing the telescope readings against lab-produced samples, the team confirmed erythrulose was present in its gaseous form.

“We report the detection of erythrulose in the interstellar medium via ultra-sensitive broadband spectral surveys of molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027 near the Galactic Centre using the 40-metre telescope at Yebes Observatory and the 30-metre IRAM telescope,” the study states.

A Cosmic First in Sugar Detection

According to the astronomers, this is the first time any sugar has been found directly in interstellar space. Earlier, biologically significant sugars such as ribose and glucose turned up inside meteorites and on asteroid Bennu. Those earlier finds hinted that at least some of Earth’s early sugar supply may have arrived from beyond our planet.

What It Means for the Origins of Life

Erythrulose itself is not considered essential for life. However, it can transform into a related compound one widely believed to have played a key role in the emergence of life on Earth. Astrophysicist Erica Hamden from the University of Arizona noted this when commenting on the findings.

“The fact that we can find these molecules in interstellar space suggests that the building blocks of life may be far more widespread across the galaxy than we previously imagined,” Hamden told CBS. The discovery opens fresh questions about whether life’s ingredients are common features of galaxies not rare accidents.