Astronomers find oldest type of molecule in space
astronomy.com- In a symbolic victory for science, researchers have finally observed the ion which started the chemistry of the Universe - helium hydride (HeH+).
- Attempts to capture it by combing through nebulae have been going on since the 1970s but failed since HeH+ is too easily absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere.
- The new study succeeded thanks to the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) - an observatory on an airplane.
- While not revolutionary, this discovery confirms theories about the early universe and puts an end to a decades-long search.
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