Astronomers have detected a type of sugar that’s found in raspberries and self-tan lotions near the centre of the Milky Way. A study published this week in the journal Nature Astronomy revealed evidence of erythrulose, a simple sugar, in interstellar gas and dust clouds between stars.The discovery may conjure up images of a “civilisation of pale, safety-conscious frugivores” in outer space, said The Guardian science editor, Ian Sample, but for astronomers it is significant because “it shows that compounds important for life can form in the frigid expanse between the stars”.
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