Comet Emits Alcohol and Sugar in Space, Researchers Say
In a study published on Friday in Science Advances, Nicolas Biver of the Paris Observatory in France said a comet is spewing out large amounts of alcohol every second, equivalent to about 500 bottles of wine.
According to ABC News, it is the first time that ethyl alcohol was found in a space rock. Ethyl alcohol is the same type that can be found in alcoholic beverages. Aside from the mentioned molecule, Biver's team also found traces of formaldehyde and other elements considered to be poisonous.
First discovered in August 2014 by an amateur astronomer from Australia named Terry Lovejoy, the comet was formally named C/2014 Q2, commonly called "Comet Lovejoy." Studies reveal that Comet Lovejoy was one of the most active and significantly brightest comets when at its peak.
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In the paper, Biver and his team discovered 21 organic molecules that the comet emits. Aside from that, Comet Lovejoy was also found to be producing a type of sugar when it gets extremely hot. According to NASA, the new discovery "adds to the evidence that comets could have been a source of the complex organic molecules necessary for the emergence of life."
Team Biver came forth with the finding after they tracked the comet as it approached the sun closest on Jan. 30. Due to the strong rays of the sun, molecules being released by the space rock started to glow.
Darek Lis, one of the researchers who helped Biver in the study, said materials that comets release are only visible when they are closest to the sun.
With the help of the almost 100-foot radio telescope installed at Pico Veleta in Spain's Nevada Mountains, the scientists discovered that Comet Lovejoy boasted of alcohol and sugar.
Stefanie Milam, a scientist from NASA who was also part of the study, said the discovery is very significant for scientists all over the world. "Detecting biological molecules in a comet means that the material that formed our solar system also formed other stars and it's the same material," she said.
