cyanoacetylene Archives - Astrobiology

This image shows the location of the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), a region at the core of our galaxy rich in dense and intricate gas clouds. This zone has been mapped with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), as part of the ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey or ACES. The inset is an ACES image where different molecules are displayed in different colours. The entire image – the largest ever made with ALMA – is as long as three full Moons side-by-side in the sky. Credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/S. Longmore et al. Stars in inset: ESO/D. Minniti et al. Milky Way: ESO/S. Guisard Larger image

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release

Astrochemistry In The Central Molecular Zone Of The Milky Way

by Keith CowingFebruary 26, 2026February 26, 2026

Astronomers have captured the central region of our Milky Way in a striking new image, unveiling a complex network of filaments of cosmic gas in unprecedented detail. Obtained with the […]

Evidence for the formation of two-center one-electron (2c–1e) bonds in the predissociation complexes of the radical cations in ethanolamine (A), propanol (B), butanenitrile (C), and glycolamide (D). The ELF basins are shown in the left column, the projections into the heavy atom planes are shown in the second column, the spin densities for the unpaired electrons are shown in the third column, and the 2c–1e AdNDP orbitals are shown in the right column. -- Chemical Science

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

What Drives The Formation Of Unsaturated Molecules In The Interstellar Medium?

by Keith CowingJanuary 20, 2025January 19, 2025

We present a computational investigation into the fragmentation pathways of ethanolamine (C2H7NO, EtA), propanol (C3H8O, PrO), butanenitrile (C4H7N, BuN), and glycolamide (C2H5NO2, GlA)—saturated organic molecules detected in the interstellar medium […]

A schematic representation of the scenario we propose here for clean, high-yield production of prebiotic feedstock. Events move around clockwise from the top left: First, the Earth has a neutral atmosphere. This is reduced following a giant impact at 4.3 Ga by oxidation of the impactor’s metal core to produce a massive H2 atmosphere with significant methane and ammonia. This atmosphere quickly cools (in

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Drawing A Line Back To The Origin Of Life On Earth

by Keith CowingApril 19, 2024April 19, 2024

Scientists in Cambridge University suggest molecules, vital to the development of life, could have formed from a process known as graphitisation. Once verified in the laboratory, it could allow us […]