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From the 1950s onwards, radio astronomy began to dominate new detections, with sub-mm astronomy also becoming important from the 1990s. [3] The inventory of detected molecules is highly biased towards certain types which are easier to detect. For example, radio astronomy is most sensitive to small linear molecules with a high molecular dipole. [3]
Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2) is a giant molecular cloud of gas and dust that is located about 120 parsecs (390 ly) from the center of the Milky Way.This complex is the largest molecular cloud in the vicinity of the core and one of the largest in the galaxy, spanning a region about 45 parsecs (150 ly) across. [2]
In 2007 the polyatomic anion octatetraynyl radical was detected in TMC-1, making it the second type of anion to be found in the interstellar medium and the largest such molecule detected to date. [6] [7] The Taurus molecular cloud was identified in the past as a part of the Gould Belt, a large structure surrounding the solar system.
9 N were detected in Taurus Molecular Cloud 1, where they are believed to be formed by reaction of atomic nitrogen with hydrocarbons. [10] For a while, HC 11 N held the record as the largest molecule detected in interstellar space, but its identification was challenged. [11] [12]
Hydrogen is the most abundant species of atom in molecular clouds, and under the right conditions it will form the H 2 molecule. Despite its abundance, the detection of H 2 proved difficult. Due to its symmetrical molecule, H 2 molecules have a weak rotational and vibrational modes, making it virtually invisible to direct observation.
Although the Sun is a star, its photosphere has a low enough temperature of 6,000 K (5,730 °C; 10,340 °F), and therefore molecules can form. Water has been found on the Sun, and there is evidence of H 2 in white dwarf stellar atmospheres.
They are detected primarily in the 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen, [6] and typically have a lower portion of heavy elements than is normal for interstellar clouds in the Milky Way. Theories intended to explain these unusual clouds include materials left over from the formation of the galaxy, or tidally-displaced matter drawn away from other ...
Interstellar formaldehyde was the first organic molecule detected in the interstellar medium. Perhaps the most powerful technique for detection of individual chemical species is radio astronomy , which has resulted in the detection of over a hundred interstellar species , including radicals and ions, and organic (i.e. carbon -based) compounds ...