Interstellar cloud yields a sugar tied to raspberries and the origins of life

A sugar found in raspberries and used in fake tan lotions has been detected in an enormous cloud of dust and gas near the center of the Milky Way. The compound, erythrulose, is the first sugar ever found in interstellar space, according to multiple reports. Astronomers identified it in what is called the interstellar medium: thin clouds of gas and dust littered between stars, CBSNews reported.

CBSNewsAstronomers discover sugar in space that's also found in raspberries

Erythrulose has four carbon atoms, making it the most complex sugar spotted beyond our Solar System, Nature Communications reported. The discovery was published in the journal Nature Astronomy, according to Ara. Previous detections of sugars had been limited to asteroids and comets that impacted Earth's surface, Ara noted.

Nature CommunicationsFirst ‘true sugar’ molecule found in space — offering hints to life’s origins

The finding carries implications for the origins of life on Earth. Ara reported that the discovery suggests an extraterrestrial molecular cloud launched a "bombardment" at our planet about 4 billion years ago, potentially giving rise to the first forms of life. The Guardian put it more vividly:

The GuardianSpace jam: astronomers detect ‘raspberry sugar’ on dust cloud in Milky Way

"The discovery does not suggest that the galaxy revolves around a distant civilisation of pale, safety-conscious frugivores, but shows that compounds important for life can form in the frigid expanse between the stars."

Live Science reported that the presence of erythrulose hints that life's ingredients are common in space. The sugar is considered a key piece for the construction of genetic material such as RNA, Ara noted. Boing Boing, citing The Guardian, summarized the find as the first sugar ever detected in interstellar space.

Live ScienceSweet! Sugar found in raspberries was discovered near the Milky Way's center, hinting that life's ingredients are common in space

The international team of scientists behind the work sees it as a turning point in astrochemistry, Ara reported. The detection demonstrates that complex organic molecules can assemble in the harsh environment between stars, adding weight to the idea that the building blocks of life may be widespread across the galaxy.