Latest news with #AbubakarFadul
Scottish Sun
14 hours ago
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Breakthrough in hunt for ALIENS as scientists find treasure trove of ‘ingredients for life' near distant baby star
The birth of stars is violent, emitting such a huge amount of energy that astronomers assumed these seeds of life would be obliterated SPACE TRACE Breakthrough in hunt for ALIENS as scientists find treasure trove of 'ingredients for life' near distant baby star Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE key ingredients for life may be scattered across the universe in more places than first thought, according to a new study. From prebiotic molecules in comets, to chemicals floating in the dust of interstellar space, scientists have traced the building blocks of life all across space. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Instead of destroying these precious organic compounds, the star may actually be freeing them from these icy surfaces Astronomers have recently discovered the key components to life swirling around a remote baby star roughly 1,300 light-years from Earth. A protostar called V883 Orionis, tucked away in the constellation Orion, contains 17 complex organic molecules, including ethylene glycol and glycolonitrile. These are the precursors to components found in DNA and RNA - which build all living things. The study, published in the The Astrophysical Journal Letters, suggests the key components for life are far more common throughout the universe - offering a glimpse of hope for Earth's alien hunters. While similar compounds have been discovered elsewhere in the cosmos, astronomers assumed it wouldn't be possible so close to a star. The birth of stars is violent, emitting such a huge amount of energy that astronomers assumed these seeds of life would be obliterated. It was thought that only the rare planetary systems - like Earth - would be capable of reproducing them. "Now it appears the opposite is true," study co-author Kamber Schwarz, an astrochemist at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, said in a statement. "Our results suggest that protoplanetary discs inherit complex molecules from earlier stages, and the formation of complex molecules can continue during the protoplanetary disc stage." Huge leap in search for aliens after 'building blocks for LIFE' found on ancient asteroid Bennu from lost watery world Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in northern Chile, scientists spotted emission lines from a cluster of organic molecules inside a debris and gas rich disk encircling V883 Orionis. This is in spite of the baby star pumping out powerful bursts of radiation. "These outbursts are strong enough to heat the surrounding disc as far as otherwise icy environments, releasing the chemicals we have detected," study first author Abubakar Fadul, a graduate student at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, added. The organic compounds form on specks of ice in the debris and gas disk. Instead of destroying these precious organic compounds, the star may actually be freeing them from these icy surfaces. The researchers still need more data to see how well these compounds hold up as their host star grows. "Perhaps we also need to look at other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum to find even more evolved molecules," Fadul said. "Who knows what else we might discover?" All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is Earth? Plus other facts on our planet How many moons does Mercury have? What colour is Venus? How far away is Mars to Earth? And other facts on the red planet How big is Jupiter? How many moons does Saturn have? Does Uranus have rings? How many moons does Neptune have? How big is Pluto? How hot is the Sun?
The Irish Sun
14 hours ago
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Breakthrough in hunt for ALIENS as scientists find treasure trove of ‘ingredients for life' near distant baby star
THE key ingredients for life may be scattered across the universe in more places than first thought, according to a new study. From prebiotic molecules in comets, to chemicals floating in the dust of interstellar space, scientists have traced the building blocks of life all across space. 1 Instead of destroying these precious organic compounds, the star may actually be freeing them from these icy surfaces Astronomers have recently discovered the key components to life swirling around a remote baby star roughly 1,300 light-years from Earth. A protostar called V883 Orionis, tucked away in the constellation Orion, contains 17 complex organic molecules, including ethylene glycol and glycolonitrile. These are the precursors to components found in DNA and RNA - which build all living things. The study, published in the READ MORE ON SPACE While similar compounds have been discovered elsewhere in the cosmos, astronomers assumed it wouldn't be possible so close to a star. The birth of stars is violent, emitting such a huge amount of energy that astronomers assumed these seeds of life would be obliterated. It was thought that only the rare planetary systems - like Earth - would be capable of reproducing them. "Now it appears the opposite is true," study co-author Kamber Schwarz, an astrochemist at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, Most read in Science "Our results suggest that protoplanetary discs inherit complex molecules from earlier stages, and the formation of complex molecules can continue during the protoplanetary disc stage." Huge leap in search for aliens after 'building blocks for LIFE' found on ancient asteroid Bennu from lost watery world Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in northern Chile, scientists spotted emission lines from a cluster of organic molecules inside a debris and gas rich disk encircling V883 Orionis. This is in spite of the baby star pumping out powerful bursts of radiation. "These outbursts are strong enough to heat the surrounding disc as far as otherwise icy environments, releasing the chemicals we have detected," study first author Abubakar Fadul, a graduate student at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, added. The organic compounds form on specks of ice in the debris and gas disk. Instead of destroying these precious organic compounds, the star may actually be freeing them from these icy surfaces. The researchers still need more data to see how well these compounds hold up as their host star grows. "Perhaps we also need to look at other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum to find even more evolved molecules," Fadul said. "Who knows what else we might discover?" All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is How many moons does What colour is How far away is How big is How many moons does Does How many moons does How big is How hot is the
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Find Evidence That Original Life on Earth Was Assembled From Material in Space
The molecules that form the building blocks to life may be far more common in space than once thought, according to researchers from the Max Planck Institute. Their work, published in The Astrophysical Journal, reports the detection of over a dozen types of complex organic molecules swimming closely around a protostar in the constellation Orion, suggesting that the chemicals can survive the violent processes that give birth to stars and thus may abound in space, instead of having to wait for a planet with the right conditions to form them. Two of the most notable organic molecules detected in the system — tentatively, the astronomers stress — are ethylene glycol and glycolonitrile. Both are precursors of the nucleic acids that form DNA and RNA. "Our finding points to a straight line of chemical enrichment and increasing complexity between interstellar clouds and fully evolved planetary systems," lead author Abubakar Fadul, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute, said in a statement about the work. And thus, quoting the researchers' statement: "this suggests that the seeds of life are assembled in space and are widespread." Until now, the assumption has been that most organic molecules would be destroyed when a star system is born from a chilly cloud of collapsing gas called an interstellar cloud. When this happens, the protostar undergoes a violent, tumultuous change, blasting out damaging radiation that heats the surrounding gas while pummeling it with powerful shockwaves. This leaves behind a protoplanetary disk that can eventually form little worlds in the star's orbit. But in the process, this was also believed to "reset" all the progress that'd been made towards seeding the system with chemical building blocks, which wouldn't start again until the right planet with the ideal conditions came along. "Now it appears the opposite is true," study co-author Kamber Schwarz, a fellow astronomer at MPI, said in a statement about the work. "Our results suggest that protoplanetary disks inherit complex molecules from earlier stages, and the formation of complex molecules can continue during the protoplanetary disk stage." Complex organic molecules are difficult to detect because they're typically trapped in shards called icy dust grains, where they first formed. But in the V883 system, the star is still blasting bursts of radiation into space as it feeds on the leftover gas in its disk. "These outbursts are strong enough to heat the surrounding disk as far as otherwise icy environments, releasing the chemicals we have detected," Fadul said. Once liberated, the gases quickly heat up and produce emissions that astronomers can see. The researchers spotted them, fortuitously, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a huge radio telescope in Chile made of 66 separate antennas working in tandem. Poetically, it appears that a young star's destructive tendencies are freeing the seeds of life to roam space. If the precursors to life's building blocks can survive a system's violent formation, that means their chemical evolution can start way before planet formation begins. In short, it looks like life's building blocks can form in space, and may be rife throughout the cosmos. Follow-up observations will need to confirm the detections, but the results have the researchers buzzing. "Perhaps we also need to look at other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum to find even more evolved molecules," Fadul said. "Who knows what else we might discover?" More on astronomy: Hubble Snaps Photos of Interstellar Invader
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Find Evidence That Original Life on Earth Was Assembled From Material in Space
The molecules that form the building blocks to life may be far more common in space than once thought, according to researchers from the Max Planck Institute. Their work, published in The Astrophysical Journal, reports the detection of over a dozen types of complex organic molecules swimming closely around a protostar in the constellation Orion, suggesting that the chemicals can survive the violent processes that give birth to stars and thus may abound in space, instead of having to wait for a planet with the right conditions to form them. Two of the most notable organic molecules detected in the system — tentatively, the astronomers stress — are ethylene glycol and glycolonitrile. Both are precursors of the nucleic acids that form DNA and RNA. "Our finding points to a straight line of chemical enrichment and increasing complexity between interstellar clouds and fully evolved planetary systems," lead author Abubakar Fadul, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute, said in a statement about the work. And thus, quoting the researchers' statement: "this suggests that the seeds of life are assembled in space and are widespread." Until now, the assumption has been that most organic molecules would be destroyed when a star system is born from a chilly cloud of collapsing gas called an interstellar cloud. When this happens, the protostar undergoes a violent, tumultuous change, blasting out damaging radiation that heats the surrounding gas while pummeling it with powerful shockwaves. This leaves behind a protoplanetary disk that can eventually form little worlds in the star's orbit. But in the process, this was also believed to "reset" all the progress that'd been made towards seeding the system with chemical building blocks, which wouldn't start again until the right planet with the ideal conditions came along. "Now it appears the opposite is true," study co-author Kamber Schwarz, a fellow astronomer at MPI, said in a statement about the work. "Our results suggest that protoplanetary disks inherit complex molecules from earlier stages, and the formation of complex molecules can continue during the protoplanetary disk stage." Complex organic molecules are difficult to detect because they're typically trapped in shards called icy dust grains, where they first formed. But in the V883 system, the star is still blasting bursts of radiation into space as it feeds on the leftover gas in its disk. "These outbursts are strong enough to heat the surrounding disk as far as otherwise icy environments, releasing the chemicals we have detected," Fadul said. Once liberated, the gases quickly heat up and produce emissions that astronomers can see. The researchers spotted them, fortuitously, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a huge radio telescope in Chile made of 66 separate antennas working in tandem. Poetically, it appears that a young star's destructive tendencies are freeing the seeds of life to roam space. If the precursors to life's building blocks can survive a system's violent formation, that means their chemical evolution can start way before planet formation begins. In short, it looks like life's building blocks can form in space, and may be rife throughout the cosmos. Follow-up observations will need to confirm the detections, but the results have the researchers buzzing. "Perhaps we also need to look at other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum to find even more evolved molecules," Fadul said. "Who knows what else we might discover?" More on astronomy: Hubble Snaps Photos of Interstellar Invader Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Find Evidence That Original Life on Earth Was Assembled From Material in Space
The molecules that form the building blocks to life may be far more common in space than once thought, according to researchers from the Max Planck Institute. Their work, published in The Astrophysical Journal, reports the detection of over a dozen types of complex organic molecules swimming closely around a protostar in the constellation Orion, suggesting that the chemicals can survive the violent processes that give birth to stars and thus may abound in space, instead of having to wait for a planet with the right conditions to form them. Two of the most notable organic molecules detected in the system — tentatively, the astronomers stress — are ethylene glycol and glycolonitrile. Both are precursors of the nucleic acids that form DNA and RNA. "Our finding points to a straight line of chemical enrichment and increasing complexity between interstellar clouds and fully evolved planetary systems," lead author Abubakar Fadul, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute, said in a statement about the work. And thus, quoting the researchers' statement: "this suggests that the seeds of life are assembled in space and are widespread." Until now, the assumption has been that most organic molecules would be destroyed when a star system is born from a chilly cloud of collapsing gas called an interstellar cloud. When this happens, the protostar undergoes a violent, tumultuous change, blasting out damaging radiation that heats the surrounding gas while pummeling it with powerful shockwaves. This leaves behind a protoplanetary disk that can eventually form little worlds in the star's orbit. But in the process, this was also believed to "reset" all the progress that'd been made towards seeding the system with chemical building blocks, which wouldn't start again until the right planet with the ideal conditions came along. "Now it appears the opposite is true," study co-author Kamber Schwarz, a fellow astronomer at MPI, said in a statement about the work. "Our results suggest that protoplanetary disks inherit complex molecules from earlier stages, and the formation of complex molecules can continue during the protoplanetary disk stage." Complex organic molecules are difficult to detect because they're typically trapped in shards called icy dust grains, where they first formed. But in the V883 system, the star is still blasting bursts of radiation into space as it feeds on the leftover gas in its disk. "These outbursts are strong enough to heat the surrounding disk as far as otherwise icy environments, releasing the chemicals we have detected," Fadul said. Once liberated, the gases quickly heat up and produce emissions that astronomers can see. The researchers spotted them, fortuitously, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a huge radio telescope in Chile made of 66 separate antennas working in tandem. Poetically, it appears that a young star's destructive tendencies are freeing the seeds of life to roam space. If the precursors to life's building blocks can survive a system's violent formation, that means their chemical evolution can start way before planet formation begins. In short, it looks like life's building blocks can form in space, and may be rife throughout the cosmos. Follow-up observations will need to confirm the detections, but the results have the researchers buzzing. "Perhaps we also need to look at other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum to find even more evolved molecules," Fadul said. "Who knows what else we might discover?" More on astronomy: Hubble Snaps Photos of Interstellar Invader
