In the Taurus molecular cloud, one of the closest stellar nurseries to Earth, scientists found two nitrile-containing molecules — and this is incredibly interesting because these very molecules could reveal information about the origins of life as we know it in the universe.
The Taurus molecular cloud (TMC-1) is an interstellar cloud in the constellations Taurus and Auriga, and the newly discovered molecules within are known as malononitrile and maleonitrile. The molecules were detected using data from the ongoing QUIJOTE line survey of TMC-1 that is being carried out with the Yebes Telescope in Spain. And, in short, their presence suggests there are complex chemical processes taking place in space — processes that may hold clues to the truth of how life began.
