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This link has been bookmarked by 2 people . It was first bookmarked on 29 Nov 2008, by J. D. Ebberly.

  • 29 Nov 08
    jdebberly
    J. D. Ebberly

    A sugar molecule linked to the origin of life was discovered in a potentially habitable region of our galaxy.

    The molecule, called glycolaldehyde, was spotted in a large star-forming area of space around 26,000 light-years from Earth in the less-chaotic outer regions of the Milky Way. This suggests the sugar could be common across the universe, which is good news for extraterrestrial-life seekers.

    "This is an important discovery as it is the first time glycolaldehyde, a basic sugar, has been detected towards a star-forming region where planets that could potentially harbor life may exist," Serena Viti of University College London said in a press release.

    habitable molecules life galaxy glycolaldehyde