A Sweet Surprise: Scientists Find Sugar Deep in Our Galaxy

It’s the first time a sugar molecule has been detected in interstellar space. The discovery provides tantalizing new clues into how life may have arisen on Earth.

By Rebecca Dzombak

Natural sugar discovered in cloud of dust and gas near centre of Milky Way

Detection of erythrulose, also found in raspberries, shows that compounds key to life can form in interstellar space A natural sugar found in raspberries and used in fake tan lotions has been detected in an enormous cloud of dust and gas that lurks near the heart of the Milky Way. The discovery does not suggest that the galaxy revolves around a distant civilisation of pale, safety-conscious frugivores, but shows that compounds important for life can form in the frigid expanse between the star...

By Ian Sample Science editor

Astronomers discover sugar in space that's also found in raspberries

A supernova lit up Earth’s sky in 1054 and was visible in daylight. Hubble now shows its glowing remains are still expanding nearly 1,000 years later

Astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope to measure the expanding Crab Nebula. New images compared with older ones show gas filaments moving outwards. This ancient stellar explosion's remnant is still actively changing today. The Crab Pulsar at the center continues to power the nebula's glow. Scientists also identified previously unrecognised filament structures within the nebula.

By TOI Science Desk

Newly found sugar between stars offers clues to cosmic chemistry

The space between stars just got a little sweeter. Astronomers have detected a type of sugar in space that's also found in raspberries and self-tanners. The sugar, called ery...