Technology news and Jobs 
VIRTUALISATION Researchers discover two complex molecules in space
VIRTUALISATION Researchers discover two complex molecules in space | Researchers discover two complex molecules in space |
|
| by William Atkins | |
| Thursday, 23 April 2009 | |
|
Page 1 of 3   
Featured Whitepaper
5 Best Practices for Smartphone Support
Ethyl formate (C2H5OCHO) and n-propyl cyanide (C3H7CN) were both discovered for the first time in interstellar space, or the volume of space that consists of matter such as gas and dust but not occupied by stars and their planetary systems. Ethyl formate, also known as ethyl methanoate, is an ester that is formed when ethanol reacts with formic acid. N-propyl cyanide is a type of alkyl cyanide. They are different types of molecules, but within their own classes of molecules, each is the most complex organic molecule so far detected in interstellar space. According to the April 22, 2009 SpaceDaily.com article Two Highly Complex Organic Molecules Detected In Space, “The results will be presented [by the scientists] at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science at the University of Hertfordshire on Tuesday 21st April.” The scientists involved with the research are A. Belloche, K.M. Menten, C. Comito, and P. Schilke (all from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn, Germany), R.T. Garrod (from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.), and H.S.P. Mueller (from the University of Cologne, Germany). They used the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimeter Range (IRAM) 30-m Millimeter Radio Telescope, which is a 30-meter radio telescope that operates in the millimeter range of radio wavelengths. Specifically, its instruments operate at the values of 3, 2, 1, and 0.9 millimeters.The telescope is located in Sierra Nevada, Spain. The researchers detected the emissions of these two molecules from Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2), which is located in the general vicinity of the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. Specifically, the two newly-discovered molecules were found within a hot, dense cloud of gas named the Large Molecule Heimat. Page two continues. |
| < Next story in category | Previous story in the category > |
|---|
