Astronomers Discover Alcohol Molecules in the Centre of the Milky Way

A group of scientists has discovered the largest alcohol molecule in space – isopropanol was found in the Sagittarius B2 gas-dust cloud near the center of the Milky Way, Phys.org reports. Sagittarius B2 is a massive stellar nursery or star-forming region where new stars are born.

Isopropanol has been detected in interstellar space for the first time, and it is used mainly in antiseptics, disinfectants, and detergents on Earth.

The discovery was made using data from the ALMA telescope. In addition to isopropanol, scientists also discovered its isomer – propanol.

The new study aimed to examine and determine how organic molecules are created in star-forming regions and how complex these molecules might be. A total of 276 molecules have been identified in 50 years of research in space.