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Scientists on Friday identified two complex organic molecules, or building blocks of life, on a comet for the first time, shedding new light on the cosmic origins of planets like Earth.
Ethyl alcohol and a simple sugar known as glycolaldehyde were detected in Comet Lovejoy, said the study in the journal Science Advances.
"These complex organic molecules may be part of the rocky material from which planets are formed," said the study.
Other organic molecules have previously been discovered in comets, most recently in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, on which the European space agency's Philae found several organic molecules -- including four never detected before on a comet.
takyon: About the scale of the alcoholic activity:
"We found that comet Lovejoy was releasing as much alcohol as in at least 500 bottles of wine every second during its peak activity," said Nicolas Biver of the Paris Observatory, France, lead author of a paper on the discovery published October 23 in Science Advances.
(Score: 2) by mendax on Monday October 26 2015, @02:43AM
...for a good party! All that is needed now is another comet with some THC, nicotine, or LSD.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 26 2015, @02:56AM
That would be comet Obama.
(Score: 2) by deathlyslow on Monday October 26 2015, @01:54PM
<sarcasm>Why does it have to be an or thing not an and thing? Personal bias showing. </sarcasm>Too bad the sarcasm tag doesn't do a ASCI face palm or something.
(Score: 2) by dast on Monday October 26 2015, @02:15PM
FTFY
(Score: 2) by tathra on Tuesday October 27 2015, @12:28AM
just stop by earth to pick up some DMT [erowid.org]. Its in practically every living thing on the planet, and a good way to take trips into space without leaving the gravity well. ;)