Space molecules

Fullerene

Fullerenes can be synthesized in the central regions of planetary nebulae — in a lack of hydrogen. However, they can be found in the circumstellar regions where hydrogen is present.

Fullerene 70

Fullerene C70 differs from the fullerene C60 by the insertion of 10 carbon atoms. This makes a molecule slightly flattened.

Phenantrene

Phenanthrene, along with naphthalene and pyrene is present in the tails of comets of the solar system. This compound may be also found on the surface of some exoplanets and in circumstellar space.

Pyrene

Pyrene as naphthalene and phenanthrene, refers to polycyclic aromatic compounds. It is believed that they may account for up to 20% of all carbon in the universe.

Hydrogen sulfide

Hydrogen sulfide is widely distributed in space. It is an important precursor for the synthesis of sulfur-containing amino acids and other organic molecules that has been demonstrated by Stanley Miller in 1958.

Ammonia

Ammonia molecules are often found in circumstellar envelopes of gas and dust, as well as in the atmospheres of gas giants and many other planets.

Butane

Butane is found in the large hydrocarbon seas on Titan's surface, Saturn's moon.

Carbon monooxide

This substance is found in interstellar and circumstellar space. It is the second most common compound in space after molecular hydrogen.

Cyanamide

This compound is found in interstellar space, and may be present in the nuclei and the tails of comets. In abiotic conditions urea and even nitrogenous bases can be synthesized from cyanamide

Decanol

Decanol, as well as some other alcohols with a shorter hydrocarbon chain may be formed as a result of the collision of comets and meteorites with planets. Formation of alcohols is important for the subsequent synthesis of fatty acids.

Ethane

Hydrocarbon seas on the surface of planets such as Titan, may consist of three-quarters of ethane.

Ethylene glycol

Ethylene glycol, along with other small oxygen-containing compounds found in interstellar gas clouds. This compound can be reduced to glycolaldehyde — the simplest carbohydrate.

Formamide

Found in interstellar space, where it can interact with methylene radical to form acetamide.

Glycine

This amino acid has been found in the tail of the comet 81P/Wild, which in 2006 was studied by the NASA space probe.

Niacin

Meteorites, as well as comets may contain a number of organic molecules. Recently, it was found that vitamin B3 — niacin, may be among them.

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is widely distributed in space. It is found in the interstellar gas and dust and in the atmosphere and on the surface of planets.

Glycolaldehyde

This compound is a simple carbohydrate — an important precursor for the synthesis of more complex sugars, amino acids and nitrogenous bases. Recently glycolaldehyde was detected in circumstellar gas shells.

Naphtalene

Naphthalene is found in many comets tails, along with other polycyclic aromatic compounds.

Methane

Methane is a common ingredient of the comet nuclei. It is present in circumstellar and interstellar space and on different planets where it can be in solid, liquid, and gaseous forms.

Carbamide

Urea is one of the compounds that is important for abiotic synthesis of biological monomers. There are evidence that it is present in interstellar space.

Propane

Propane is present in the hydrocarbon seas on Titan and can be found in the open space. Oxygen and sulfur derivatives of propane are important for synthesis of amino acids and other biomolecules.

Water

ВWater — the central subject of the search on the surfaces of different planets, because the presence of liquid water indicates to the possibility of life in earthly form. Currently couple of dozens of platents with liquid water are found outside the Solar system. Recently, liquid water was detected on Enceladus — Saturn's moon.