Comments on: Astronomers discover simple sugar molecules floating in gas around a distant star

By: Ben Helvensteijn

Ben Helvensteijn — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:36:00 +0000

Relativity theory would have something completely different to say about how long that trip would take for the traveler, basically ‘zilch’. Problem is getting to that speed, big big problem.

By: Ben Helvensteijn

Ben Helvensteijn — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:31:00 +0000

There’s no point in arguing jargon, in this case jargon for astronomers. They call all atoms heavier than hydrogen “metals”, to distinguish advanced systems with actual chemistry from the most basic (just hydrogen).

By: Ben Helvensteijn

Ben Helvensteijn — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:21:00 +0000

Short answer to Q2: Only life based on chemistry as we know it. All else we might ‘see’ but not recognize as relevant chemistry.

By: Ben Helvensteijn

Ben Helvensteijn — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:02:00 +0000

RJ You’re right there is no room for pseudo science, not outside fantasy world anyways. About that ~manned~ blurb: Be it for true exceptions, any telescope used in major discoveries is fully computer-controlled and isn’t ‘man-handled’ in any way. All that humans do is give the directives for the observation (remotely) and analyze the data coming back on the computer. Same thing for any mission to Mars, asteroid, etc.: Humans would need machines to do the digging, and then lightlasers, detectors and spectrometers to identify what is there, again using computers that could be anywhere, meaning that ~manned~ missions are just big spending without meaningful payoff.

By: Ben Helvensteijn

Ben Helvensteijn — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:42:00 +0000

We know that.

By: Ben Helvensteijn

Ben Helvensteijn — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:38:00 +0000

It’s cheaper at the corner store.

By: Ben Helvensteijn

Ben Helvensteijn — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:37:00 +0000

Similar observations of different regions in space bolster the relevance and strengthen the narrative that the chemistry we know on earth is maybe not as unique as ‘we’ once thought.

By: Ben Helvensteijn

Ben Helvensteijn — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:33:00 +0000

Ever taken a science class? Well, please continue, and then at some point you’ll learn enough to know that spectroscopy is way better than any ‘taste test’ and is done just as well remotely at any distance with telescopes as long as the telescope is big enough, or the observation lasts long enough, and the detectors (the pixels on the ‘CCD camera’) sensitive enough to detect enough radiation. And yes, math beyond arithmetic is more than merely useful in that.

By: Ben Helvensteijn

Ben Helvensteijn — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:17:00 +0000

Dude, they use that method to discern what’s in the atmospheres of moons, asteroids and the like. “Light” emitting objects, be it infrared, or light as we see it, radio waves, etc., obviously send out their molecular signature with that light.

By: Jordan Dietrich

Jordan Dietrich — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 17:44:00 +0000

2400 trillion miles is indeed a long way, viewed in the scope of our every day lives. However, viewed through the lens of our full galaxy, which has a diameter of roughly 100,000 light years, 400 is small potatoes.

Viewed another way, the circumference of the earth is 24,901 miles. The same relative distance (400 is 0.4% of 100,000) is only 100 miles, roughly.

Also, I know that spectrum analysis wasn’t covered in MY third grade curriculum.

By: onpoint G

onpoint G — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:51:00 +0000

“sugar loosely refers to carbohydrates or organic molecules that are comprised of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon” that’s what I call it when I’m searching for it in the stores

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:36:00 +0000

I tend to doubt that it is possible that such a determination could be made. Perhaps they could obtain “atomic” signatures for carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen using atomic line spectra of the light coming from the star but I am unaware of how they could determine any molecular configuration at this distance. When comets enter our vicinity, there are ways using probes to sample the tail for organic signatures but a star 400 light years away does not seem possible.

By: correctly speaking

correctly speaking — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:34:00 +0000

First of all that is about 2400 trillion miles! That is far away. Secondly matter is identified by spectrum analysis! That’s a one way deal no need to send light there and back. Attend the third grade!

By: Dude

Dude — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:30:00 +0000

They use light from other stars that are behind this star to determine the composition of the gas around it. So, the data scientists see on Earth today is data from 400 year old light.

By: Jack Meoff

Jack Meoff — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:22:00 +0000

What about warp drive, you ignorant a$$wipe.

By: Jack Meoff

Jack Meoff — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:20:00 +0000

LOL!!!!

By: Jack Meoff

Jack Meoff — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:20:00 +0000

When we send Barack Hussein Obama packing!

By: Jack Meoff

Jack Meoff — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:19:00 +0000

Better get Michelle “Bubblebutt” Obama on the phone right away!

By: traveller

traveller — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:18:00 +0000

I am sure you can find a peanut butter jelly sandwich in orbit around some star too. quantum vacuum fluctuations will cause various particles and other items to pop up now and then. Does anyone here have the spectral signature of the PBJ combo so we can look for it?

By: adelantado@yahoo

adelantado@yahoo — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:02:00 +0000

Why would carbon, hydrogen and oxigen remain apart in that emvironment?

By: dalemais

dalemais — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:01:00 +0000

The article says that it was previously discovered in a star formation region, so finding it around another star does not seem so novel to me.

By: ThoughtforFood

ThoughtforFood — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:50:00 +0000

First, 400 light years isn’t distant, relatively speaking. Second, how do they determine the molecules found in a gas at that distance? Even if we had a laser that was strong enough to reach the star, it’d take 400 year there and 400 back, so we’d know in 800 years how the molecules reacted to the energy in the beam. Does anyone know this answer?

By: pterosaur

pterosaur — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:46:00 +0000

You missed the point. It was found in an entirely new environment, close to a star rather than in interstellar space. The implication is that molecular sugar was available during planet formation supplying the basic building blocks for carbon based life. Seems pretty significant to me…but I’m old!

By: Ben Helvensteijn

Ben Helvensteijn — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:24:00 +0000

Distance is irrelevant in spectroscopy. All that matters is to collect sufficient energy, using huge telescopes and long exposure times, to trigger detection in the highly sophisticated detectors installed on these telescopes. The detectors work in basically the same way as the CCD’s in the digital camera in your pocket. For a primer on CCD’s check:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge-coupled_device

By: Ben Helvensteijn

Ben Helvensteijn — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:16:00 +0000

Spectroscopy has become an essential tool in establishing what chemistry is present in whatever sample of matter. Since it is a precise analysis of the wavelengths present in electromagnetic (EM) radiation (light, infrared, ultraviolet, x-rays, radio-waves, etc., etc.) and since different combinations of wavelengths correspond with different elements (or molecules) one can tell from the EM received (light, infrared, etc.) what material was radiating out that EM.
For a primer, check: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectroscopy

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:15:00 +0000

Space dounuts

By: dalemais

dalemais — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Since it has been discovered in two other places, it’s not cledar to me why this is newworthy

By: johne37179

johne37179 — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:54:00 +0000

When will intelligent life be discovered on earth?

By: Prove it

Prove it — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:42:00 +0000

I call bull

By: Todd Wilson

Todd Wilson — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:38:00 +0000

As soon as we discover how to travel at the speed of light then we’ve only got a 400 year trip… one-way!

By: aphi

aphi — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:32:00 +0000

It’s conceivable that there may be living organisms evolved in free space, or at least in a sea of the vast gaseous clouds in space. The question is, could we identify a soup of plankton by stellar spectroscopy? Does “life” have a signature we could recognize?

By: $1135212

$1135212 — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:25:00 +0000

Obviously placed there by Satan to throw us off. Obviously.

By: dragos111

dragos111 — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:20:00 +0000

Sweet!

By: James

James — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:12:00 +0000

They use spectrometry. They look at the light coming from these distant objects to determine the composition. Each molecule has a “signature” so by looking at the colour of a distant gas cloud you can determine what’s in it.

By: Ronald Johnson

Ronald Johnson — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:06:00 +0000

The point is, we need MANNED exploration. Examples of this pseudo science clearly demonstrate the need to go there. And for funny’s sake, taste it. You can’t expect any kind of spectroscopy to deliver that far away. I think its terrible they just conclude it as fact.

By: DL

DL — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:58:00 +0000

Are they sure it isn’t high fructose corn syrup?

By: Doris

Doris — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:55:00 +0000

And how did the scientist get his sample of atmosphere to test?

By: John

John — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:55:00 +0000

Life is everywhere in this vast universe.

By: Selva Raj

Selva Raj — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:53:00 +0000

Give me a spoon sugar for my coffee