According to a recently published paper scientists have discovered molecules of Taurine in the constellation of Taurus. The constellation of Taurus is a large and prominent zodiac constellation that is very prominent in the northern hemisphere's winter sky, and contains multiple bright stars such as Aldebaran (which is the 14th brightest star of the night sky). The open cluster of M45, lies on the top of the constellation. (You might be also interested to read about the discovery of exoplanets in Pleiades.)
The scientists have used the LATTE experiment (Large Astrocomical Taurine Tester Experiment), in order to obtain an observation of the HL Tau disk, and for illustration purposes they embedded the image in a mug of coffee (image below) .
The LATTE experiment required decades of hard work, (by dozens of scientists and engineers) and it was funded by multiple coffee companies around the world. However, the results are astonishing as organic molecules are rarely detected into space. However, the new discovery shows that many complex organic molecules that are found on Earth, they are also abundant in space.
The scientists mention:"N_2 gas has no permanent dipole moment. Observing nitro coldbrew therefore depends on the local N_2 isotope fractionation, which renders this type of cold brew non-optimal for initial coffee discovery. This paper presents an alternative, focus-enhanced approach to finding coffee in space. Case in point: the amino acid taurine (C_2H_7NO_3S)."
The scientists conclude: "As coffee in space is exciting, the enhanced focus we all gain from this discovery can be used constructively to the benefit of astronomers (and all scientists alike) at all institutions. With this, we kindly apply some French press-ure to suggest that research institutions review and improve their coffee offerings".
References:
(1) https://arxiv.org/pdf/2203.16598.pdf
Commentaires