An organic molecule, propylene oxide, has been discovered for the first time in interstellar space. It is an exciting find that can take us towards cracking open a mystery about the early origins of life.
This organic molecule, seems to be the most complex one found outside the solar system and is vital in biology.
"This is the first molecule detected in interstellar space that has the property of chirality, making it a pioneering leap forward in our understanding of how prebiotic molecules are made in the Universe and the effects they may have on the origins of life," said chemist Brett McGuire from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Virginia.
Organic molecules, like humans, have the property of leaning left as well as right, which is called "chirality". Most molecules on earth lean left, although it is not clear why. Scientists found chiral molecules in comets in the solar system and meteorites on Earth, but this is the first one to be found in interstellar space.
The "biological advantage" by skewing left or right helps molecules to build complicated structures out of congruence.
Published in the journal Science, the finding is thought to be "a pioneering leap forward" in figuring out how prebiotic molecules were made and how they impacted the origins of life.
Propylene oxide was discovered in a massive star-forming cloud of dust and gas at the hub of our galaxy through a sensitive radio telescope. Propylene oxide in interstellar space can enable scientists to find out more about molecular-handedness.
"The past few years of exoplanetary science have told us there are millions of solar system-like environments in our galaxy alone, and thousands of nearby young stars around which planets are being born. The detection of propylene oxide, and the future projects it enables, lets us begin to ask the question--does interstellar prebiotic chemistry plant the primordial cosmic seeds that determine the handedness of life?" Geoffrey Blake professor of cosmochemistry and planetary sciences and professor of chemistry, said.
It is interesting that biomolecules such as sugars, including those that are composed of DNA, tend to lean towards the right, while amino acids made up of protein tend to be left-handed.
Hence, the discovery of the interstellar molecule may "clear up the ingredients forming the base of our solar system." Experts have found over 180 molecules in space so far. All of them give distinct vibrations that can be found with radio telescopes. The larger, more complex molecules are tougher to identify due to their complicated vibration patterns.
"By discovering a chiral molecule in space, we finally have a way to study where and how these molecules form before they find their way into meteorites and comets," said chemist Brett McGuire from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Virginia , "and to understand the role they play in the origins of homochirality and life."
