The First Molecule Found

The one that gave birth to all other things, the first molecule, has been found by astrophysicists. This confirms what they already knew had existed. The molecule is a helium hydride ion (HeH+).

Though what they found wasn't exactly the original, they say it has the same molecular structure as that which came first.

"For the first time, we've detected the same type of molecule in a nearby nebula," said David Neufeld, co-author of the study in the journal Nature, who's a professor and astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

We now have several pieces of the puzzle that would give us an understanding of the events that took place at the beginning, the Big Bang, and how the rest of matter came into existence. All we need to do is to try and put them together.

Of course, even after all the data and evidence, we might still only have a rudimentary understanding of the universe's origins but we must continue to forge onward. And these efforts are making it possible to reconstruct the events that occurred at the beginning and those that followed to unveil the secrets of the universe.

(Image credit: William B. Latter/SIRTF Science Center/Caltech; NASA/ESA)


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