DescriptionALMA detects methyl isocyanate around young Sun-like stars.jpg
English: ALMA has observed stars like the Sun at a very early stage in their formation and found traces of methyl isocyanate — a chemical building block of life. This is the first ever detection of this prebiotic molecule towards a solar-type protostar, the sort from which our Solar System evolved. The discovery could help astronomers understand how life arose on Earth.
This image shows the spectacular region of star formation where methyl isocyanate was found. The insert shows the molecular structure of this chemical.
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Credit/Provider
ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2/L. Calçada
Source
European Southern Observatory
Short title
ALMA detects methyl isocyanate around young Sun-like stars
Image title
ALMA has observed stars like the Sun at a very early stage in their formation and found traces of methyl isocyanate — a chemical building block of life. This is the first ever detection of this prebiotic molecule towards a solar-type protostar, the sort from which our Solar System evolved. The discovery could help astronomers understand how life arose on Earth. This image shows the spectacular region of star formation where methyl isocyanate was found. The insert shows the molecular structure of this chemical.
Usage terms
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Date and time of data generation
12:00, 8 June 2017
JPEG file comment
This wide-field view shows a spectacular region of dark and bright clouds, forming part of a region of star formation in the constellation of Ophiuchus (The Serpent Bearer). This picture was created from images in the Digitized Sky Survey 2.