Hubble Spots Complex Carbon Compounds, Possibly Organic, on Pluto's Surface - Polidicks

[QUOTE]The Hubble Space Telescope has sniffed out evidence of complex carbon molecules, the building blocks of life in this corner of the cosmos, lying on the frozen surface of Pluto. The distant dwarf world is known to harbor methane ice and other frigid compounds, but this is the first time scientists have suggested there could be other complex carbon chemicals, too. Something is absorbing ultraviolet light on Pluto’s surface, and it may be organic compounds or some nitrogen-containing material, according to scientists at the Southwest Research Institute. That’s organic not as in life, but as in carbon-based compounds that make up the building blocks of life as we know it right now. The chemicals could be produced as weak sunlight or cosmic rays bombard Pluto and break apart methane and carbon monoxide ice on the dwarf planet. “This is an exciting finding because complex Plutonian hydrocarbons and other molecules that could be responsible for the ultraviolet spectral features we found with Hubble may, among other things, be responsible for giving Pluto its ruddy color,” said Alan Stern of SwRI in a statement. The team found the high UV absorption using the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, a new instrument installed during the final Hubble servicing mission in 2009. The new data marked the first time the COS was turned to Pluto and its largest companion, Charon. The COS is designed to split light apart and measure its components. During measurements made in 2010, the team also discovered evidence of changes in Pluto's ultraviolet spectrum compared to earlier measurements from the 1990s. This indicates the dwarf planet’s surface might be changing, due to some unknown influence, or its atmosphere might have increased in pressure. The paper, published in the Astronomical Journal, shows there’s a lot left to be learned about Pluto, Stern said. NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft will be able to answer some questions when it arrives in 2015.[/QUOTE] Source: [url]http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-12/hubble-spots-complex-carbon-compounds-possibly-organics-plutos-surface[/url]

Well, they finally discovered the Mi-Go.

Well in that case we should probably send a probe over to Yuggoth and check out the business over there. Hell, we might find some fungi or maybe even a brain cylinder. (Mythos lore represent)

They're already organic if they include carbon...

I'd really have thought this news would be a bit bigger. I get that we won't be seeing anything other than a big blob of chemicals that might become life at some point, but it's the building blocks of a life form that it won't take several light-years to meet. Give us a few million years, we'll be talking with blue tree-people before we know it.

Im pretty sure its Fwiffo.

[QUOTE=Number-41;33842372]They're already organic if they include carbon...[/QUOTE] Nope. Every organic thing has carbon, but not everything that has carbon is organic. Look at carbondioxide, it includes carbon but its not organic.

Just in the time for the holidays. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocsOIYYedV8&feature=related[/media]

[QUOTE=fantafuzz;33843204]Nope. Every organic thing has carbon, but not everything that has carbon is organic. Look at carbondioxide, it includes carbon but its not organic.[/QUOTE] Everything with carbon is organic except carbides, and really, by the definition of organic compound, even carbides can be considered organics, but that's technicalities.

FUCKING DECLARE LIFE ALREADY

It's just carbon remnants of the Protheans from last use of the Charon Mass Relay.

[QUOTE=Beafman;33843431]It's just carbon remnants of the Protheans from last use of the Charon Mass Relay.[/QUOTE] Can that even be called news now, that is common knowledge j/k

[QUOTE=fantafuzz;33843204]Nope. Every organic thing has carbon, but not everything that has carbon is organic. Look at carbondioxide, it includes carbon but its not organic.[/QUOTE] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_chemistry[/url]

[QUOTE=Beafman;33843431]It's just carbon remnants of the Protheans from last use of the Charon Mass Relay.[/QUOTE] No, no, it's obviously the ruins of this secret base: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oewk8TX6KSs[/media]

[QUOTE=fantafuzz;33843204]Nope. Every organic thing has carbon, but not everything that has carbon is organic. Look at carbondioxide, it includes carbon but its not organic.[/QUOTE] [IMG]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17216535/Kip----Yesss--napoleon-dynamite-387390_200_270.gif[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Disseminate;33843715][url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_chemistry[/url][/QUOTE] we consider most (if not all?) carbonates, bicarbonates and oxides as inorganic. [editline]23rd December 2011[/editline] but we've known pluto has methane for a while

That's just my sweetcorn supply.

It will be interesting to see what New Horizons will find, it's still en route to Pluto.

[QUOTE=Article;33841917]The distant [i][b]dwarf world[/i][/b][/QUOTE] God dammit Earth!

[QUOTE=Contag;33844099]we consider most (if not all?) carbonates, bicarbonates and oxides as inorganic. [editline]23rd December 2011[/editline] but we've known pluto has methane for a while[/QUOTE] It depends how literally you take the definition of organic chemistry, which entails "[I]all[/I] of the chemistry surrounding carbon". Sensibly, you'd omit carbon chalcogides, carbides, and carbonates, but then again, it's how you want to look at it.