Scientists discovered in the comet Lovejoy alcohol molecules Science October 24 3:20 – TASS News Agency of Russia

WASHINGTON, October 24. / Correspondent. Ivan Lebedev TASS /. An international team of scientists has found the first time as part of cometary material alcohol molecules. According to the study authors, the discovery was made by a 30-meter telescope of the Institute of Radio Astronomy in the millimeter range, located in the Spanish Sierra Nevada in the south of the Iberian Peninsula.

“We have found in the comet C / 2013 Q2, the known comet Lovejoy, the molecules 21 organic compounds, including ethyl alcohol / ethanol, C2H5OH / and the simplest monosaccharide – glycolaldehyde (CH2OHCHO), which had never before in comets have not met, “- wrote the European experts in an article published in the journal” Science achieve “.

Astrophysics, working in particular with the National Center for Scientific Research in France, noted that monitored the comet Lovejoy in January this year, when it was at a distance of about 90 million km from the Earth and” was the most vibrant and productive. ” During this period she was close to the Sun and “stretched” his giant tail consisting of dust and gas. To study its composition using various methods, including spectral analysis.

Scientists are reminded that the comet C / 2013 Q2 is “one of the most active” among those who appeared in the last two decades in relative proximity to the Earth. It was discovered by Australian amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy in August 2014 and has a period of 10 thousand years. Most of the time she spends in the Oort cloud – a spherical region at the periphery of the solar system, which serves a source of long-period comets.

Organic matter has repeatedly managed to find on other comets. So, in 2014 with the probe “Rosetta” and the descent module “Fila” specialists found on the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the molecule 16 organic compounds, four of which – methyl isocyanate, acetone, propanal and acetamide – earlier comets 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. In addition, 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 material”, of which 4.6 billion years ago formed the solar system.