Read, Watch or Listen

Astronomers have detected methanol and its isotopes in the dust ring around the young star HD 100453, located 330 light-years from Earth. This discovery, made using the ALMA telescope, is significant because methanol is a building block for life's organic compounds. The finding suggests that comets formed within protoplanetary disks may carry complex organic molecules to planets, potentially offering clues about the origin of life on Earth. The ratio of methanol to other molecules in HD 100453's disk is similar to that found in our solar system's comets.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.