In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have detected the presence of a molecule, typically associated with life on Earth, deep in the cosmos. Carbonic acid, the same chemical responsible for the fizz in your soda, was discovered near the heart of our galaxy in a molecular cloud named G+0.693-0.027, according to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal. This marks the third time carboxylic acids, often considered as some of the fundamental building blocks of life, have been detected in space, and the first time an interstellar molecule has been found to contain three or more oxygen atoms.
This discovery is crucial in understanding the interstellar chemistry of carbon and oxygen, two essential elements in any prebiotic process, says Víctor M. Rivilla, a researcher at the Spanish Center for Astrobiology and co-author of the study. "Our observations show that carbonic acid, which had remained invisible to our eyes until now, is relatively abundant in space," Rivilla told German broadcaster DW. The implications of this discovery could reshape our understanding of the origins of life, suggesting that key molecules for life’s emergence on our planet might have originated in the vast expanse of the cosmos.
Life-Linked Molecule Discovered in Deep Space
Scientists have made a remarkable discovery involving a molecule commonly found on Earth and usually associated with life in the depths of space. This molecule, known as carbonic acid (HOCOOH), famously gives soda its fizziness. This discovery was made near the center of our galaxy, within a galactic center molecular cloud named G+0.693-0.027, according to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal.
Carbonic Acid: A Building Block of Life
This discovery marks the third time carboxylic acids, a class of chemicals often thought to be some of the building blocks of life, have been detected in space. The first two instances were with acetic acid and formic acid. This occasion is particularly notable as it is the first time an interstellar molecule has been found to contain three or more oxygen atoms.
Víctor M. Rivilla, a researcher at the Spanish Center for Astrobiology and co-author of the study, expressed that this discovery confirms the abundance of carbonic acid in space. It thus becomes an essential piece in understanding the interstellar chemistry of carbon and oxygen, two of the fundamental chemical elements in any prebiotic process.
How Life on Earth Evolved
Carboxylic acids are organic compounds characterized by a carbon atom doubly bonded to an oxygen atom and singly bonded to a hydroxyl group. Carbonic acid, in particular, is formed when CO2 is dissolved in water, meaning that it is present in increased concentrations in our seas due to CO2 in the atmosphere.
Several theories on how life on Earth evolved suggest that primitive life may have emerged from a chemical "primordial soup" when our planet was very young. Some theories propose that these chemicals, including carboxylic acids, may have arrived on Earth from space, travelling via comets and meteorites to the forming planet.
Carbonic Acid in Outer Space
Although carbonic acid has been previously detected on other astronomical bodies, such as the icy moons of Jupiter, in some meteorites and comets, and even on Mars and Mercury, it has not been seen in interstellar space until now.
The authors of the study suggest that the discovery of these more complex molecules in the interstellar medium may reveal clues about the origins of our planet and the life upon it. They believe that the presence of prebiotic COMs within extraterrestrial material suggests the existence of carboxylic acids of increasing complexity in the interstellar medium.
Final Thoughts
The discovery of carbonic acid, a molecule closely associated with life, in a distant part of our galaxy, opens up new horizons for our understanding of the universe and the origins of life. It aligns with the idea that life’s fundamental building blocks could be widespread in the cosmos, possibly seeding life across various planets. While there’s much to explore and understand, this discovery is a significant step forward in our quest to unravel the mysteries of life and its origins. It may even hold the keys to answering the ultimate question: are we alone in the universe?
