Sugar molecules in the gas surrounding a young Sun-like star

A team of astronomers has found molecules of glycolaldehyde — a simple form of sugar — in the gas surrounding a young binary star, with similar mass to the Sun, called IRAS 16293-2422. This is the first time sugar been found in space around such a star, and the discovery shows that the building blocks of life are in the right place, at the right time, to be included in planets forming around the star. The astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to detect the molecules.

This image shows the Rho Ophiuchi star-forming region in infrared light, as seen by NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Explorer (WISE). IRAS 16293-2422 is the red object in the centre of the small square. The inset image is an artist’s impression of glycolaldehyde molecules, showing glycolaldehyde’s molecular structure (C2H4O2). Carbon atoms are shown as grey, oxygen atoms as red, and hydrogen atoms as white.

In the WISE infrared image of Rho Ophiuchi, blue and cyan represent light emitted at wavelengths of 3.4 and 4.6 micrometres, which is predominantly from stars. Green and red represent light from 12 and 22 micrometres, respectively, which is mostly emitted by dust.

Credit:

ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/L. Calçada (ESO) & NASA/JPL-Caltech/WISE Team

About the Image

Id:eso1234a
Type:Collage
Release date:29 August 2012, 12:00
Related releases:eso1234
Size:10282 x 10100 px

About the Object

Name:IRAS 16293-2422, Molecules
Type:Milky Way : Star : Circumstellar Material : Disk : Protoplanetary
Milky Way : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Protostar
Distance:400 light years
Category:Illustrations

Image Formats

Large JPEG
13.1 MB
Screensize JPEG
306.3 KB

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Infrared3.4 μm Other
Infrared4.6 μm Other
Infrared12 μm Other
Infrared22 μm Other