Space Booze Cloud!

[Boozy the clown]

Alcohol cloud spotted in deep space

The vast bridge-shaped cloud of methyl alcohol was sighted in the Milky Way. (Reuters)

Astronomers say they have spotted a cloud of alcohol in deep space that measures 463 billion kilometres across, a finding that could shed light on how giant stars are formed from primordial gas.

The vast bridge-shaped cloud of methyl alcohol has been spotted in a region of our galaxy, the Milky Way, that is called W3(OH), where stars are being formed by the gravitational collapse of concentrations of gas and dust, the discoverers said in a press release.

Methanol, an organic (carbon-based) molecule, is a cousin of ethanol, which is found in alcoholic beverages.

Methanol is not suitable for human consumption.

The cloud was spotted by astronomers based at Britain's Jodrell Bank Observatory led by Lisa Harvey-Smith.

Their work was to be presented on Tuesday at a meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) in Leicester, central England.

In 2004, methanol, also called methyl alcohol, was spotted for the first time in one of the disc-like clusters that form around nascent stars.

That discovery opened up a new area of debate in astrophysics, challenging the conventional view that interstellar chemistry could not provide the conditions for creating complex molecules, as they would be ripped apart by ultraviolet radiation from stars and other tough conditions.

Around 130 organic molecules have also been identified so far in outer space, fuelling speculation that these complex molecules may have helped to sow the seeds for life on the fledgling Earth.

-AFP


(Sorta beer related, but totally boozy related)

 

[NRB]

Drink methanol and you'll go blind. I'd rather put a flame to it

 

[peas_and_corn]

...and if I go blind, I won't be able to enjoy NRB's avatar!

 

[pint of lager]

Methanol is very toxic to us humans.

Anything from 60ml upwards can be a lethal dose.

It is closely related to our favourite molecule ethanol. It tastes, smells and looks the same as ethanol. Unfortunately, when our bodies process methanol, it is treated the same as ethanol, and the by products are formaldahyde, formic acid and lactic acid. It is the formaldahyde that gets you. It attacks the optic nerve, liver, kidneys and other internal organs. Many people die from methanol due to the liver shutting down.

An interesting point is that people who are suffering methanol poisoning, are given ethanol to slow down the absorption of the methanol.

Methanol is produced in very small amounts in all fermentation processes.

So for all you water purifier users out there, heed the safety warnings, throw out the first 50ml per 20 litre wash, and if processing wines high in pectin, throw away 150-200ml.

 

[berapnopod]

I feel compelled to reply to this.

Being an astronomer by trade, and a keen interest in beer, I am sure you'll understand.
Hell, I even wrote my PhD thesis on methanol in space!

So methanol isn't new news in astronomy circles. Its in space, and its quite abundant. In fact, after water ice, it is probably the most abundant ice out there. But you're probably not too concerned about methanol, right?

If you're wondering if ethanol has been found in space, thats the chemical that gets you drunk in the "right" way, I can tell you it has. Not as abundant as methanol, since its a bigger and more complex molecule, but its definitely out there. In fact, there are a whole bunch of molecules that we find out in space that also commonly occur in beer.
Acetaldehyde is one - its a characteristic of young beer and is reminiscent of green apples.

I am half way through writing a public lecture on the similarities between beer and astronomy. I have lots of interesting anecdotes to present, I just don't have a point yet, and I am very open to suggestions

Berp.

 

[Doc]

I am half way through writing a public lecture on the similarities between beer and astronomy. I have lots of interesting anecdotes to present, I just don't have a point yet, and I am very open to suggestions

Sounds like a lecture I'd be interested in

As for a point, how about Man is entitled and encouraged to be in space. The Milky Way is one big bar; bring your pint glass

Doc

 

[twobob9]

I feel compelled to reply to this.

Being an astronomeers smarter than chemists, or do they send someone on an away team to gather the samples for analysis?

 

[Duff]

Hell, I even wrote my PhD thesis on methanol in space!

Berp.

[post="118685"][/post]​

Sweet. Now I won't have any more funny looks when I tell people I'm writing my PhD thesis on kikuyu grass variation.

Cheers Berp.

 

[BruceL]

The good news is there is ethanol up there. Here is an article where researchers have found enough ethanol to make 400 trillion trillion pints of beer.

http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/beercld.htm

 

[Piste]

Beer and astronomy, do we assume the nexus is too many of the former causing one to lay on ones back and observe the latter