Herschel Telescope Finds Oxygen Molecules in Space
Oxygen Molecules in the Orion Nebula Astronomers have at last identified the distinct signatures of oxygen molecules in space, using observations made with the Herschel Space Observatory. NASA Astronomers are finding more and more of life's key ingredients in deep space, from amino acids to a huge water reservoir, and now molecular oxygen. Teams working with the Herschel Space Telescope have confirmed finding O2 in the Orion nebula, the first time scientists have been able to pinpoint the crucial yet simple molecule. Oxygen is the third-most abundant element in the universe, so surely its molecular form is abundant in space, said Bill Danchi, Herschel program scientist at NASA, in a news release. Individual atoms of oxygen are very common, especially around stars, so it's sort of odd that scientists have not been able to find large quantities of O2. They have been using balloons and space- and Earth-based telescopes to hunt for...