NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has detected two young protostars, IRAS 2A and IRAS 23385, which are helping scientists answer many questions about our universe.
NASA announced that the two young protostars are surrounded by a "true chemical cocktail" and that the gas cloud surrounding the protostars contains beer components.
Ethanol molecules, also known as alcohol, were found in high concentrations in the gas cloud surrounding the two protostars using the James Webb Space Telescope.
NASA's "cocktail" includes:
- Ethyl alcohol (ethanol)
- Acetic acid (known as vinegar spirit)
- Formic acid (known as formic acid)
- Methane (a colorless gas)
- Formaldehyde (a toxic gas)
- Sulfur dioxide (sulfur dioxide)
The sulfur dioxide in the "cocktail" has excited scientists. Scientists believe that sulfur dioxide played a major role in the formation of our solar system, which includes our planet.
Highlighting the "similar process to the formation of the solar system", NASA stated in its announcement:
"IRAS 2A is a low-mass protostar, and the process it is going through may be similar to the beginning of our solar system. This means that the chemicals found around IRAS 2A could also have been present in the early stages of the development of our solar system and could have later been transported to Earth."
