On the comet Lovejoy found alcohol and sugar

An international team of scientists, astronomers announced that they have discovered a molecule of alcohol and sugar in the comet C / 2014 Q2 / Lovejoy.

These studies of the comet Lovejoy was published in the scientific journal Science Advances. For an object, scientists have observed in the millimeter range using a 30-meter telescope of the Institute of Radio Astronomy, located in the Spanish Sierra Nevada. According to astronomers, all they were able to identify a part of the comet 21 of complex organic molecules. Besides water, simple hydrocarbons, oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen compounds among scientists discovered molecular ethyl alcohol (ethanol, C2H5OH) and glycolaldehyde (CH2OHCHO), which is a simple monosaccharide. "The concentration of ethanol is 5 and glycolaldehyde and 0.8% with respect to methanol, these values ​​are higher than the values ​​for conventional solar proto-type" - noted astronomers.

Observations of the comet Lovejoy astronomers led last winter, when the object is at a distance of 90 million km from the Earth and the perihelion passage. In January, it approached the sun, showing a tail of gas and dust. C / 2014 Q2 - one of the comets discovered by Australian astronomer Terry Lovejoy. It was discovered in the summer of 2014 at apparent magnitude 15m in the southern constellation Puppis.

According to astronomers, before entering the planetary region C / 2014 Q2 had an orbital period of approximately 13.5 thousand. Years. After the comet leaves the planetary region, the orbital period of change and will be about 9 thousand. Years. In February, the comet was no longer visible from the Earth, the next time it will be visible only after eight thousand years.

According to Tass, organic matter previously has repeatedly managed to find on other comets. In 2014, with the probe "Rosetta" and the descent module "Phil" NASA experts found on comet 67P / Churyumov - Gerasimenko, 16 molecules of organic compounds. Four of them - methyl isocyanate, acetone, propanal and acetamide - until on comets are not met. "The chemical composition of these celestial bodies are attracted attention of scientists, in particular, on the question of the origin of life on Earth. According to one theory, substances necessary for the emergence of organic life on our planet may have been carried by comets "- writes news. Also, the study of the structure of comets allows you to expand understanding of the origins and evolution of the universe. It is believed that comets are remnants of "building blocks", of which 4.6 billion years ago formed the solar system.










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