Discovery of active organic chemistry in protoplanetary discs

[Jet Black]

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/news/spitzer-20080313.html

The Spitzer telescope has observed concentrations of simple organics around a young star which are much higher than the concentrations seen in the interstellar gas. Elements such as hydrogen cyanide, acetylene and carbon dioxide were observed. This demonstrates that the conditions in these protoplanetary disks are such that they can increase the amounts of organic chemicals which of course would be needed for the formation of life and form an important foundation for more complex chemistry.

[Berthold]

(link does not work for me)

It's not a thing I'd find too unusual. All the components (I mean, the elements to start with) are present in higher concentrations than in interstellar clouds, and the conditions are suitable for thermal and photochemical reactions.

[RBH]

Not unusual, sure (at least these days), but yet another demonstration that the basic organic chemistry underlying life is pretty easy to come by.