Astronomers announced the first-ever detection of erythrulose, a sugar-related organic molecule, inside a gas and dust cloud near the Milky Way‘s center. The finding pushes the frontier of astrochemistry and hints at how prebiotic building blocks form in space.
The detection was made using deep radio-spectroscopy of the galactic core region. Scientists say it strengthens the case that key ingredients for life-like chemistry are widespread across the galaxy, not confined to Earth-like environments.
