🌌Chances of alien life in our #galaxy are far more likely that first thought.
💡The discovery of basic chemical conditions that resulted in life on #Earth could exist more widely across the Milky Way, say scientists.
Science editor @sarahknapton reports 🧵👇
💡The discovery of basic chemical conditions that resulted in life on #Earth could exist more widely across the Milky Way, say scientists.
Science editor @sarahknapton reports 🧵👇
🌟Scientists found "significant amounts" of large organic molecules surrounding young stars.
➡️Dr John Ilee of the University of Leeds said the findings suggest the chemical conditions that resulted in life on Earth could exist across the Milky Way
📸Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
➡️Dr John Ilee of the University of Leeds said the findings suggest the chemical conditions that resulted in life on Earth could exist across the Milky Way
📸Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
⭐️🪐The team studied the discs of swirling material which surround #stars and will eventually come together to form #planets
They found large reservoirs of precursor molecules which are "stepping stones" to complex molecules needed for life, such as:
❌Sugars
❌Amino acids
❌Ribonucleic acid
❌Sugars
❌Amino acids
❌Ribonucleic acid
🔭Each molecule emits light at distinctly different wavelengths, producing a unique spectral "fingerprint" which can be picked up by telescopes
🇨🇱The team studied data from the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (Alma) telescope in Chile.
🗣️"Alma has allowed us to look for these molecules in the innermost regions of these disks, on size scales similar to our solar system, for the first time," Dr Ilee said
🗣️"Alma has allowed us to look for these molecules in the innermost regions of these disks, on size scales similar to our solar system, for the first time," Dr Ilee said
🗣️"Our analysis shows that the molecules are primarily located in these inner regions with abundances between 10 and 100 times higher than models had predicted"
🗣️"It is possible that the molecules that are needed to kickstart life on planets are readily available in all planet-forming environments"
📸Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
📸Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
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