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Most of the molecules detected so far are organic. The only detected inorganic molecule with five or more atoms is SiH 4. [14] Molecules larger than that all have at least one carbon atom, with no N−N or O−O bonds. [14] Carbon monoxide is frequently used to trace the distribution of mass in molecular clouds. [15]
Of the gas in the ISM, by number 91% of atoms are hydrogen and 8.9% are helium, with 0.1% being atoms of elements heavier than hydrogen or helium, [3] known as "metals" in astronomical parlance. By mass this amounts to 70% hydrogen, 28% helium, and 1.5% heavier elements.
Stellar molecules are molecules that exist or form in stars. Such formations can take place when the temperature is low enough for molecules to form – typically around 6,000 K (5,730 °C; 10,340 °F) or cooler. [1] Otherwise the stellar matter is restricted to atoms and ions in the forms of gas or – at very high temperatures – plasma.
Most of the gas constituting a molecular cloud is molecular hydrogen, with carbon monoxide being the second most common compound. [11] Molecular clouds also usually contain other elements and compounds. Astronomers have observed the presence of long chain compounds such as methanol, ethanol and benzene rings and their several hydrides.
The discovery of interstellar formaldehyde – and later, other molecules with potential biological significance, such as water or carbon monoxide – is seen by some as strong supporting evidence for abiogenetic theories of life: specifically, theories which hold that the basic molecular components of life came from extraterrestrial sources.
Porous chondrite dust particle. Cosmic dust – also called extraterrestrial dust, space dust, or star dust – is dust that occurs in outer space or has fallen onto Earth. [1] [2] Most cosmic dust particles measure between a few molecules and 0.1 mm (100 μm), such as micrometeoroids (<30 μm) and meteoroids (>30 μm). [3]
Warm and pressurized regions in the Moon's interior might still contain liquid water. [94] Underground lakes of liquid water on the Moon require a reservoir of underground water, a source of heat, and a barrier sufficient to stop the water from being lost to space. Subsurface ice layers may block the diffusion of deeper liquid water, so ...
This space is not completely empty, and is sparsely filled with cosmic rays, which include ionized atomic nuclei and various subatomic particles. There is gas, plasma and dust, [128] small meteors, and several dozen types of organic molecules discovered to date by microwave spectroscopy. [129]