В центре Млечного Пути обнаружен газовый облако с более чем 120 молекулами, включая компоненты жизни

A giant cloud of gas near the center of the Milky Way has surprised astronomers with its incredible chemical richness. Inside G+0.633-0.0604, researchers found more than 120 different molecules. The discovery shows that the unusual molecular richness already seen in another famous cloud may not be a one-off event. Similar regions of space could also be capable of creating complex molecules long before planets and stars develop around them. Located near the crowded heart of the Milky Way, G+0.633 belongs to the Sgr B2 complex, one of the most chemically active areas in our galaxy. The study, led by David San Andrés from the Center for Astrobiology in Spain, was published on the arXiv preprint server on Aug. 14, 2026. According to the researchers, the cloud contains more than 120 molecular species, including several molecules previously found in another exceptionally rich cloud called G+0.693-0.027. For years, G+0.693 has been a favorite target for astrochemists because it contains a huge variety of molecules. The cloud alone holds around 40% of all molecules ever detected in interstellar space, making it one of the best places to study how complex chemistry takes shape between stars. A New Molecular Treasure Found Near The Milky Way’s Center Finding molecules in space is not unusual anymore. Astronomers have already identified nearly 350 different molecules across interstellar space, but only a few regions contain such a wide chemical variety. G+0.693 became especially interesting because it is full of complex molecules even though it is not actively forming stars. Scientists think its chemistry comes from a rare combination of conditions. The cloud is warm enough to keep chemical reactions active, while its molecules produce signals that are easier for telescopes to detect. Researchers also believe that slow shock waves caused by collisions between gas clouds may have knocked molecules loose from icy layers covering dust grains, allowing them to enter the gas and become visible. G+0.633 appears to share many of these same characteristics. Located about 32 light-years from G+0.693, the cloud shows signs of a similar environment. Its molecular signals point toward a “shock-dominated environment,” along with a comparable temperature pattern. After a detailed survey, the cloud contains molecules made from the six elements considered essential for life-related chemistry: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. Molecules That Could Help Explain The Origins Of Life’s Chemistry Among the many molecules detected, some stand out because of their connection to biological processes. Scientists found ethanolamine, a molecule involved in the structure of cell membranes. This was only the second time ethanolamine had been detected in space. The team also identified sp-glycolamide, a molecule with a structure similar to glycine, the simplest amino acid used by living organisms to build proteins. Its detection adds another piece to the puzzle of how complex organic chemistry develops in space. Another important group of molecules found in the cloud was cyanomethanimine. They detected all three versions of this molecule, which are considered possible building blocks of adenine, one of the four genetic components that make up RNA and DNA. “This survey has revealed over 120 molecular species containing all six essential biogenic elements (C, H, O, N, P and S), including the aromatic cycle benzonitrile, immediately placing G+0.633 among the richest molecular reservoirs in the galaxy,” the researchers wrote. Two Similar Clouds With A Shared Chemistry Before studying G+0.633, astronomers wondered whether the unusual chemistry of G+0.693 was something extremely rare. Finding a second cloud with almost the same type of molecular richness suggests that similar conditions may exist elsewhere in the galaxy. The two clouds share such a similar molecular inventory that G+0.633 can be considered the first confirmed “astrochemical twin” of G+0.693. “These detections, together with the remarkable similarity of the overall molecular inventory, establish G+0.633 as the first confirmed astrochemical twin of G+0.693,” the researchers concluded. The cloud does not provide evidence of life itself, but it shows that many of the chemical ingredients connected to biology can appear naturally in space.