Sugar Molecule Spotted Near Sun-Like Star

For the first time, astronomers have discovered sugar—one of the building blocks of life—in a gas cloud near a star. The simple molecule, called glycolaldehyde, is essential to the formation of ribonucleic acid (RNA), which is present in all living cells. The 10,000-year-old star, known as IRAS 16293-2422, is similar to the Sun and is approximately 400 light-years from Earth. Scientists believe the glycolaldehyde may have been formed as a result of the star’s radiation hitting even simpler molecules. More… Discuss

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