@into.space.7: Sugar has been discovered floating across our galaxy. Astronomers have identified a type of sugar drifting in the space between stars, adding another potential ingredient for life to the expanding list of molecules found throughout the galaxy. The molecule, known as erythrulose, was detected within a massive cloud of gas and dust near the center of the Milky Way using two radio telescopes located in Spain. Erythrulose is a naturally occurring sugar, also present in raspberries, and is widely used in self-tanning products. While it isn't essential for life on its own, scientists believe it can easily transform into other sugars that are considered crucial building blocks for life's origins. This discovery supports the growing evidence that many of the chemical ingredients necessary for life may naturally form in interstellar space, long before planets are born. Researchers identified the sugar by correlating radio signals collected from the telescopes with laboratory measurements of the molecule. In recent decades, astronomers have found dozens of complex organic molecules in space, including amino acids, alcohols, and various types of sugars. Each of these discoveries helps address one of astronomy's largest questions: did the ingredients for life form in space before Earth existed, or did they develop later on our young planet? The team now aims to search for even more complex sugars throughout the Milky Way to enhance our understanding of the chemistry that may lead to life among the stars. Read the study: "Detection of a four-carbon sugar in interstellar space." Nature Astronomy | #Astronomy #space #sugar #life #MilkyWay

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Thursday 16 July 2026 23:26:44 GMT