Dimethyl Ether Was Discovered in a Planet-forming Disc for the First Time
In a first for astrochemistry, astronomers have discovered dimethyl ether in a planet-forming disc. A precursor of larger organic molecules that can spur life, dimethyl ether is the largest molecule identified yet in a protoplanetary disc-- a rotating cloud of gas, dust, and ice that develops around a recently developing star and ultimately forms...