Comet Lovejoy releases alcohol and sugar in space, say scientists

Comet is living up to its name by releasing as much alcohol as in at least 500 bottles of wine every second

Scientists have identified two complex organic molecules, or building blocks of life on a comet (CREATIVE COMMONS)

A comet is releasing large amounts of alcohol as well as a type of sugar into space, according to new observations by an international team.

Scientists found that the Lovejoy comet is spewing a mixture of alcohol, sugar and 21 other organic compounds as it speeds through our galaxy. "Comet Lovejoy was releasing as much alcohol as in at least 500 bottles of wine every second during its peak activity," Nicolas Biver of the Paris Observatory, said in a press statement.

Ethyl alcohol and a simple sugar known as glycolaldehyde were detected in Comet Lovejoy, according to the study in the journal Science Advances.

The comet is the first to be found that contains the same kind of alcohol that would be found in a drink, ethyl alcohol. It adds evidence that comets could have been a source of the complex molecules necessary for the emergence of life on Earth.

Since comets contain some of the oldest and most primitive material in the solar system, scientists regard them as time capsules, offering a peek into the past. Some researchers think that comet impacts on ancient Earth delivered a supply of organic molecules that could have assisted the origin of life.

Comet Lovejoy is particularly interesting as it is one of the most active comets in Earth’s orbital neighbourhood.

The research was done using a 30-metre long telescope at the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique in Sierra Nevada, Spain in January 2015, when the comet was brightest and most productive.