Astronomers find Milky Way 'could taste of raspberries'

MATHSEX · MASTER BATOR

You know what's awesome? Space (nerd thread).

MATHSEX · MASTER BATOR

breakthroughs in smell-o-scope technology

Astronomers find Milky Way 'could taste of raspberries'

Astronomers testing a giant dust cloud at the heart of the Milky Way have found that it might taste of raspberries, according to reports.

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, were searching space for evidence of amino acids: the basic chemicals from which life is created.

They told the Guardian newspaper that, despite failing to locate any such aminos, they did find a substance called ethyl formate, the chemical responsible for the flavour of raspberries.

The astronomers used the IRAM telescope in Spain to analyse electromagnetic radiation emitted by a hot and dense region of Sagittarius B2 that surrounds a newborn star, the paper reported.

Radiation from the star is absorbed by molecules floating around in the gas cloud, which is then re-emitted at different energies depending on the type of molecule.

While scouring their data, the team found ethyl formate as well as evidence for the deadly chemical propyl cyanide in the same cloud. The two molecules are the largest yet discovered in deep space.

Astronomer Arnaud Belloche said: "It [ethyl formate] does happen to give raspberries their flavour, but there are many other molecules that are needed to make space raspberries."

The results are being presented today at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science at the University of Hertfordshire.

Last year, the team came tantalisingly close to finding amino acids in space with the discovery of a molecule that can be used to make them, called amino acetonitrile.

Previously, astronomers have detected a variety of large molecules, including alcohols, acids and chemicals called aldehydes.

Jason · Only in cartoons

We're doomed!

MATHSEX · MASTER BATOR

so sayeth wikipedia, "Ethyl formate has the characteristic smell of rum. This molecule is also responsible for the flavor of raspberries."

Jason · Only in cartoons

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but the James Webb Space Telescope is totally balls-to-the-wall killer badass.

MATHSEX · MASTER BATOR

JWST's significantly larger light-gathering power affords it the ability to resolve objects much more quickly than the HST. JWST's significantly larger field-of-view affords it the ability to observe a much larger view of interest. however, its diffraction-limited angular resolution is less than the HST, since its observed wavelengths are larger than HST.

Jason · Only in cartoons

Okay... so it's nice that this professor is so well respected that a mediocre a capella group devoted a song to him, but... why would anyone watch that whole video. I watched about 20 minutes it was a pretty average lecture, I thought. Those balloons were way cool, though. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be biting your lip, hoping your entire PhD research project wasn't about to be popped.

DEATHPIGGIE · I'm fat and nobody likes me

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/chicken_****_asteroid_veers_away?utm_source=a-section

DEATHPIGGIE · I'm fat and nobody likes me

Add in the S WORD!!!! where activeboard censored it.

MATHSEX · MASTER BATOR

Jason wrote:

Okay... so it's nice that this professor is so well respected that a mediocre a capella group devoted a song to him, but... why would anyone watch that whole video. I watched about 20 minutes it was a pretty average lecture, I thought. Those balloons were way cool, though. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be biting your lip, hoping your entire PhD research project wasn't about to be popped.

it was more of a "hey, i'm retiring after today. check out what grad school research was like back in the day" lecture

MATHSEX · MASTER BATOR

MATHSEX · MASTER BATOR

john31584 · Zinc Saucier

eXtreeeeeeeeeeeeme!

john31584 · Zinc Saucier

Holy crap check this out

That may just look like a picture of the sun, with a couple little sunspots, but it's something way more awesome than that.

Yes, that's the space shuttle Atlantis, and that other dot below it is Hubble. This picture was taken 2 days ago, right before the shuttle caught up with the telescope. It was taken from the ground, and the photographer probably only had second or two to get this shot.

-- Edited by john31584 on Friday 15th of May 2009 04:05:59 PM