Overview
- A team led by Izaskun Jiménez-Serra reported in Nature Astronomy that radio observations of the molecular cloud G+0.693−0.027 matched laboratory spectra for the four-carbon sugar erythrulose.
- The identification used data from the Yebes 40‑m and IRAM 30‑m telescopes and twelve independent laboratory line matches to reduce the chance of a false detection.
- The authors and supporting quantum and astrochemical models argue the sugar forms on icy dust grains from two‑carbon precursors rather than by adding single carbon atoms stepwise.
- Using abundance estimates from the cloud, the paper suggests roughly 0.5 to 50 million tonnes of erythrulose could have been delivered to early Earth during the Late Heavy Bombardment, though that number depends on debated impact and survival rates.
- Published in mid‑July, the result has prompted calls for independent confirmations, targeted searches for related sugars such as ribose, more lab spectroscopy including the reported laser method, and further modelling to test formation and delivery scenarios.