Astronomers have detected a type of sugar, known as erythrulose, in the vast gas and dust clouds that exist between stars, according to a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy. This sugar is also found in everyday items such as raspberries and self-tanners.
The discovery was made using two radio telescopes in Spain, which collected data from a large gas cloud near the center of the Milky Way. Researchers identified the sugar in its gaseous form by comparing the telescope signals to laboratory samples.
This marks the latest discovery of a sugar molecule in space. Scientists previously identified a sugar related to table sugar near the Milky Way's center approximately 25 years ago. Additionally, samples retrieved by NASA's Osiris-Rex spacecraft from the asteroid Bennu contained other sugars, including a component essential for DNA.
While erythrulose itself is not vital for life, it can be easily converted into a form considered crucial for the emergence of life on Earth. Astrophysicists note that it is one of the more complex sugars observed in space to date.
These interstellar observations are part of a broader effort to understand the origins of life. Scientists are investigating whether essential ingredients for life were delivered to Earth by comets or asteroids, or if they were already present in the early solar system. The presence of this sugar in interstellar space supports the latter theory. Researchers plan to search for additional sugars in space and study how they transform into different molecular structures. The detection of these key ingredients in one region suggests they may be widespread throughout the galaxy, potentially increasing the possibility of life developing elsewhere in the universe.