New organic molecule in space

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Amino acetonitrile (NH2CH2CN). Credit: Sven Thorwirth MPIfR
Amino acetonitrile (NH2CH2CN). Credit: Sven Thorwirth, MPIfR

The "Large Molecule Heimat" is a very dense, hot gas clump within the star forming region Sagittarius B2. In this source of only 0,3 light-year diameter, which is heated by a deeply embedded newly formed star, most of the interstellar molecules known to date have been found, including the most complex ones such as ethyl alcohol, formaldehyde, formic acid, acetic acid, glycol aldehyde (a basic sugar), and ethylene glycol.


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All News summaries for March 26, 2008