Sugar discovered in space for the first time

An international team of astronomers has made the first-ever discovery of a true sugar beyond the Solar System.

The molecule, known as erythrulose, was found in a massive cloud of gas and dust near the center of the Milky Way, roughly 26,000 light-years from Earth.

The findings were published on Monday (13) in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Erythrulose is a four-carbon sugar belonging to the same family of molecules as sugars that are fundamental to life. These compounds store energy, help build biological structures, and form part of genetic material. For instance, DNA contains deoxyribose, while RNA contains ribose.

On Earth, erythrulose naturally occurs in certain red fruits, including raspberries and strawberries.

A First Step Toward Finding True Sugars Beyond Earth

Although scientists have previously detected sugar-like molecules in space—such as glycolaldehyde—none had met the chemical definition of a true sugar.

The discovery marks the first confirmed detection of a true sugar beyond Earth, revealing new insights into cosmic chemistry.

The discovery was based on observations from two radio telescopes in Spain—the Yebes 40m and the IRAM 30m—which detected the unique radio spectral signature of erythrulose within the molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027, one of the most chemically rich regions ever examined in the Milky Way.

“This makes erythrulose the first genuine sugar ever identified in interstellar space.”

Isolating a Single Molecule Among Millions

Detecting a single molecule in a vast molecular cloud is like picking out one voice in a noisy crowd. Countless molecules emit radio signals simultaneously, making identification a significant challenge.

Researchers verified the detection by matching telescope radio signals with precise laboratory measurements of molecular fingerprints.

The signals closely matched laboratory data, and over 180 other detected molecules supported the erythrulose identification.

The finding also revives a longstanding question: could some of the chemical compounds that paved the way for life on Earth have originated beyond our planet?

Researchers suggest erythrulose may have formed in the cloud that created the Solar System before the Sun and planets existed. These compounds could then have been delivered to the young Earth by comets and asteroids.

Scientists Urge Caution While Highlighting the Discovery’s Importance

César Menor Salván, an astrobiologist at the University of Alcalá, called the discovery significant but cautioned that it does not explain the origins of life or complex molecules like DNA and RNA, urging careful interpretation of the findings.

The way erythrulose forms in space resembles the gradual assembly of building blocks. Simple molecules on icy space dust grains gradually combine to form more complex compounds.

The study identifies glycolaldehyde and ethylene glycol—two simple molecules commonly found in the same molecular cloud—as the primary building blocks for erythrulose formation.

Cosmic Factories: How Space May Produce Life’s Essential Molecules

Scientists believe that this process, occurring repeatedly over millions of years across molecular clouds throughout the galaxy, strengthens the idea that sugars and other life-related molecules can form naturally in space, well before planets capable of supporting life have developed.

The team estimates that 0.5 to 50 million tons of erythrulose may have reached early Earth during the Late Heavy Bombardment, potentially delivering key prebiotic ingredients.

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