An international team of researchers has uncovered what might be a critical step in the chemical evolution of molecules in cosmic "stellar nurseries." In these vast clouds of cold gas and dust in space, trillions of molecules swirl together over millions of years. The collapse of these interstellar clouds eventually gives rise to young stars and planets.
Like human bodies, stellar nurseries contain a lot of organic molecules, which are made up mostly of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The group's results, published Feb. 6 in the journal Nature Astronomy, reveal how certain large organic molecules may form inside these clouds. It's one tiny step in the eons-long chemical journey that carbon atoms undergo -- forming in the hearts of dying stars, then becoming part of planets, living organisms on Earth and perhaps beyond.
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