First aromatic molecule identified in interstellar space

By Emma Stoye2018-01-12T14:52:00

taurus molecular cloud (unlabelled). This is a widefield image of the Taurus Molecular Cloud and surrounding sky, taken from Charlottesville, VA on January 2, 2018. The molecular cloud is the dark, obscured region in the upper left of the image, where t

Source: © Brett A McGuire

Radio astronomy analysis picks benzonitrile signal out of the noise

The aromatic molecule benzonitrile has been detected in the Taurus Molecular Cloud – a region of interstellar space known for containing complex molecules – using radio telescopes. Aromatic molecules are thought to be widely distributed throughout the universe, responsible for as-yet unidentified infrared bands – emissions from numerous cosmic sources. This, however, is the first time a specific aromatic molecule has been detected using radio spectroscopy.