Scientists claim to have discovered sugar in outer space

Space exploration just got sweeter as scientists say they have discovered a type of sugar called erythrulose in outer space.

The discovery marks the first time true sugar has been spotted in outer space. Erythrulose is also found in raspberries and self-tanners.

Astronomers at the Spanish National Research Council in Madrid, using Spain's Yebes 40-metre and IRAM 30-metre radio telescopes for deeper observations, spotted the specific fingerprint of wavelengths emitted by the molecule.

Scientists hope this discovery will help clarify how life started on Earth. Sugars help power our cells and are also a part of our DNA.  The molecule found in a cluster of thin clouds of gas and dust between stars, called the interstellar medium, is a compound with four carbon atoms.

According to Nature.com, Brett McGuire, an astrochemist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, called it an incredible discovery, saying that "astronomers have, for a very long time, been pushing to detect sugar in space.”

Why is this important?

With the role sugar plays in DNA and being a source of fuel to our cells, scientists theorise that it is essential to understanding the origin of life.

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Another related theory proposed by science states that if this kind of sugar exists in molecular clouds in space, then they could have been transported by asteroids and comets, which have bombarded Earth about four billion years ago and could have brought sugar molecules to Earth. This theory, they say, is relevant to understanding the origins of life on Earth.

How was this discovered?

Researchers collected data from a large cloud of gas found close to the centre of the Milky Way. They were able to identify the sugar in this gas by comparing telescope signals to lab samples.

Although the form the sugar was discovered in is not essential to life, scientists think that it can easily convert to a form that could have helped to kickstart life on Earth.

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