ARECIBO, Puerto Rico, Jan. 15 Astronomers at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico have, for the first time, detected the molecules methanimine and hydrogen cyanide in another galaxy.
The methanimine and hydrogen cyanide -- two ingredients that build life-forming amino acids -- were found in the galaxy Arp 220, some 250 million light-years from Earth.
The molecules were found by searching radio emissions at specific frequencies. Each chemical substance has a unique radio frequency and astronomers can use that to identify substances.
Robert Minchin, an Arecibo astronomer said methanimine and hydrogen cyanide, when combined with water, form glycine -- the simplest amino acid and a building block of life on Earth.
The astronomers, led by Christopher Salter, announced the discovery Friday in Austin, Texas, during a meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
The Arecibo Observatory is managed by Cornell University for the National Science Foundation.
Copyright 2008 by UPI
