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Naphthalene Found In Outer Space

Posted by timothy on from the wake-me-up-when-they-find-remulac dept.

Adam Korbitz writes with an excerpt from his blog on an exciting discovery in space: "A team of researchers led by Spanish scientists has published their discovery of the complex molecule naphthalene in an interstellar star-forming cloud, indicating many prebiotic organic molecules necessary for life as we know it could have been present when our own solar system formed. According to the new research — published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters — the naphthalene molecules were discovered 700 light-years from Earth in a star-forming region of the constellation Perseus, in the direction of the star Cernis 52."

11 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. This is evidence of life. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Naphtalene--or better known as the primary ingredient in MOTHBALLS
     
    At last. We know the secret coordinates of Mothra. (S)he lies in the constellation Perseus. This may lead us to discover the origins of Godzilla.
     
    My girlfriend brought over brownies...

    1. Re:This is evidence of life. by AnomaliesAndrew · · Score: 5, Funny

      So not only are the universe and my grandparents both extremely old, but they both smell the same now... great.

      --
      Move all sig!
    2. Re:This is evidence of life. by Laser+Dan · · Score: 5, Funny

      Mothballs are exciting only to moths.
      A moth without balls is a eunuch.
      I would say that mothballs are extremely important to moths.

      This is Slashdot so I can see I need to explain something.
      I apologise for using a term you may be unfamiliar with, but a moth without balls is called a female moth.

  2. Unbeknownst to many by Trails · · Score: 5, Interesting
    An early draft of Arthur C. Clarke's 2001:A Space Odyssey contained the line

    My God, it's full of mothballs

    which was changed during editing, but further reinforces the prescience of Mr. Clarke.

  3. No moths in outer space! by kybur · · Score: 5, Funny

    I always wondered why there were no moths in outer space. This explains everything!

    1. Re:No moths in outer space! by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Informative

      I've always wondered why the elderly are so keen on mothballs. Were there more moths around 75 years ago?

      Natural fibers are more susceptible to them than synthetics, which we use more of now.

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
  4. Re:me no RTFA by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

    How exactly does one detect specific molecules, 700 light years away?

    Using Google, of course

         

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  5. Re:me no RTFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    With one of these.
       
    .
     
    .
     
    .
     
    times 1E17

  6. Re:me no RTFA by Kardos · · Score: 5, Funny

    with one of these: http://images.craveonline.com/article_imgs/Image/smelloscope.jpg

  7. Re:OIL! by linumax · · Score: 5, Funny

    Time to invade

    Time to Liberate(TM).

  8. Re:The reason why this is important by JaumPaw · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now, now, no need to be cynical.