Super-Complex Organic Molecules Found in Interstellar Space

[madviking]

Link to article

ScienceDaily (June 21, 2010) — A team of scientists from the Instituto Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the University of Texas has succeeded in identifying one of the most complex organic molecules yet found in the material between the stars, the so-called interstellar medium. The discovery of anthracene could help resolve a decades-old astrophysical mystery concerning the production of organic molecules in space.

The researchers report their findings in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

'We have detected the presence of anthracene molecules in a dense cloud in the direction of the star Cernis 52 in Perseus, about 700 light years from the Sun,' explains Susana Iglesias Groth, the IAC researcher heading the study.

In her opinion, the next step is to investigate the presence of amino acids. Molecules like anthracene are prebiotic, so when they are subjected to ultraviolet radiation and combined with water and ammonia, they could produce amino acids and other compounds essential for the development of life

'Two years ago,' says Iglesias, 'we found proof of the existence of another organic molecule, naphthalene, in the same place, so everything indicates that we have discovered a star formation region rich in prebiotic chemistry.' Until now, anthracene had been detected only in meteorites and never in the interstellar medium. Oxidized forms of this molecule are common in living systems and are biochemically active. On our planet, oxidized anthracene is a basic component of aloe and has anti-inflammatory properties.

The new finding suggests that a good part of the key components in terrestrial prebiotic chemistry could be present in interstellar matter.

Since the 1980s, hundreds of bands found in the spectrum of the interstellar medium, known as diffuse spectroscopic bands, have been known to be associated with interstellar matter, but their origin has not been identified until now. This discovery indicates that they could result from molecular forms based on anthracene or naphthalene. Since they are widely distributed in interstellar space, they might have played a key role in the production of many of the organic molecules present at the time of the formation of the Solar System.

The results are based on observations carried out at the William Herschel Telescope at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma in the Canary Islands and with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope in Texas in the United States.

Anthracene

Very interesting.

 

[Yared]

Very, very interesting indeed.

 

[Yared]

More evidence for the extraterrestrial origin of life?

That life was brought here by some asteroid?

 

[madviking]

Anthracene is just coal. Nothing on the scale of amino acids yet. Though, if they found amino acids, that would almost make extraterrestrial life a fact.

 

[Yared]

Ah, wouldn't that be a superb day?

 

[madviking]

And from what the article suggests, amino acid creation is very likely. A carbon-bearing compound (anthracene, benzene, carbon dioxide, etc), water and ammonia are enough to create amino acids. The next quantum leap would be the creation of polypeptides and, eventually, proteins, and, ultimately, life. (FYI, an amino acid is simply just a carboxylic acid (R-COOH) containing one or more amine groups (R'-NH3).)

 

[warpus]

That theory is called panspermia.

Just wanted to say panspermia

(panspermia)

 

[classical_hero]

But there is still a massive step from this to even the "simplest" life form.

 

[Bartleby]

Anthracene is just coal. Nothing on the scale of amino acids yet. Though, if they found amino acids, that would almost make extraterrestrial life a fact.

But coal is derived from plant matter...which would be a much bigger scale than just amino acids.

 

[LucyDuke]

But there is still a massive step from this to even the "simplest" life form.

The point of the thread is that that step from "most complex stuff we've found" to ""simplest life form"" just got smaller.

 

[SomethingWitty]

Anthracene is just coal. Nothing on the scale of amino acids yet. Though, if they found amino acids, that would almost make extraterrestrial life a fact.

You're thinking of anthracite. Anthracene is a simple organic compound (emphasis on simple, the OP's article is vastly exaggerating anthracene's complexity). Anthracene and other PAH's are commonly found most everywhere that there's carbon and hydrogen. It's easily formed "inorganically."

And amino acids have been found in space. NASA's Stardust found it in comet Wild 2. It's also fairly easily formed and would not be a huge hurdle in abiogenesis.