Our Galaxy Smells of Raspberries and Tastes like Rum!

Are we alone in the universe? Could life exist on other planets? Could we possibly survive on other planets in the future? These are all questions astronomers have been trying to answer for some time, but before they can answer it, they need to do some investigating.

Astronomers studying our galaxy have been fervently searching for the building blocks of life- amino acids. With their focus directed at a large dust cloud named Sagittarius B2 in the center of our galaxy, they have found something quite striking. By using a 30m radio telescope to decipher between chemicals within the dust cloud, they stumbled upon a bit of serendipity. They didn't find the amino acids they were searching for, but instead, found the compound ethyl formulate, which gives raspberries their flavor and smells like rum. Now don't get too excited, because since outer space is a vacuum you can't literally smell and taste our galaxy, even though the compound necessary to do so is present. According to the Guardian, "The astronomers used the IRAM telescope in Spain to analyze electromagnetic radiation emitted by a hot and dense region of Sagittarius B2 that surrounds a newborn star. Radiation from the star is absorbed by molecules floating around in the gas cloud, which is then re-emitted at different energies depending on the type of molecule."

While the news of raspberry aromas and rum tastes is lovely, don't be surprised that some not-so-lovely compounds have been found also. Evidence of the lethal compound, propyl cyanide, has also been found in Sagittarius B2. Finding these two compounds makes for a stellar (no pun intended) discovery, as these are the largest molecules to be found in deep space so far.

Even though astronomers didn't find the amino acids they'd been looking for, the search continues, and it's not unwarranted. In 2008, they came dangerously close to finding amino acids when they came across amino acetonitrile, the molecule used to create amino acids. However, the process of distinguishing between molecules is a tedious and difficult one. According to Dr. Belloche at Cornell University, "The difficulty in searching for complex molecules is that the best astronomical sources contain so many different molecules that their 'fingerprints' overlap and are difficult to disentangle (Guardian)." As a result of data collecting, there have been many complex molecules discovered ranging from alcohols to aldehydes, so it's not far off to think that scientists may be coming across an amino acid sometime in the near future.

Bibliography

Klotz, Irene . "Complex molecules in Milky Way's sweet spot." MSNBC. 21 Apr. 2009. 2 Feb. 2011. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30328726/ns/technology_and_science-space/

Sample, Ian . "A Part of Our Galaxy Smells of Raspberries and Tastes like Rum!." The Guardian. 21 Apr. 2009. 2 Feb. 2011. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/apr/21/space-raspberries-amino-acids-astrobiology

"Two Highly Complex Organic Molecules Detected In Space." Science Daily. 22 Apr. 2009. 2 Feb. 2011. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090421080506.htm