Hubble finds first organic molecule on an exoplanet

Hubble finds first organic molecule on an exoplanet

“NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has made the first detection ever of an organic molecule in the atmosphere of a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting another star. This breakthrough is an important step in eventually identifying signs of life on a planet outside our solar system. The molecule found by Hubble is methane, which under the right circumstances can play a key role in prebiotic chemistry — the chemical reactions considered necessary to form life as we know it.”

Right under the noses of most people there is a revolution going on in our understanding of the universe. And one of the most exciting and unexpected discoveries is the high number of planets we are finding outside our solar system.

The discovery of methane in the atmosphere of another planet outside our solar system is as important a discovery as any in recent years. The implication is that life is very likely a lot more prevalent in our universe than we had previously thought. See: The Drake Equation in the Site Links to the right.

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