Jaw-dropping! Scientists find stellar cloud that contains 400 quintillion liters of alcohol
This celestial liquor vault, discovered in 1995, is a jaw-dropping 1,000 times the size of our solar system and brimming with a staggering 400 quintillion liters of methyl alcohol, also known as wood alcohol.
Scientists have uncovered a massive interstellar alcohol cloud floating 10,000 light-years away in the Aquila constellation. This celestial liquor vault, discovered in 1995, is a jaw-dropping 1,000 times the size of our solar system and brimming with a staggering 400 quintillion liters of methyl alcohol, also known as wood alcohol.
If every human on Earth consumed 300,000 pints a day for a billion years, we'd still struggle to finish it all! But before you dream of intergalactic bar-hopping, there are two major problems: The cloud is a mind-boggling 58 quadrillion miles away, and most importantly its toxic composition makes it utterly undrinkable, packed with hazardous compounds like carbon monoxide and ammonia.
What is alcohol cloud?
Interstellar alcohol clouds are vast molecular formations packed with organic compounds, including ethyl alcohol—the very same type found in your favorite beverages. These cosmic booze reserves form in star-forming regions, offering clues about the chemistry of space and the building blocks of life itself.
One of the most famous examples is Sagittarius B2, a colossal molecular cloud near the heart of the Milky Way. Spanning 150 light-years, it contains an abundant mix of ethyl alcohol and other complex molecules, fueling scientific curiosity about the origins of life and the chemical processes shaping our galaxy.
How did scientists detect space booze?
Astronomers use powerful telescopes, like the James Webb Space Telescope, to study the light emitted by these cosmic clouds. By analyzing the infrared spectra, they can identify specific molecules including alcohol drifting through the vast expanse of space.
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