---
title: "Sugar from space: Scientists found erythrulose in a dust cloud near the center of the Milky Way"
description: "🍓 Sugar found in space! Scientists discovered erythrulose in a dust cloud near the center of the Milky Way. This is the first sugar in interstellar space — it could have reached Earth with comets and helped life emerge 🌌🔬 #space #science #life"
date: 2026-07-15T12:35:56.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/sugar-from-space-scientists-found-erythrulose-in-a-dust-cloud-near-the-center-of-the-milky-way
tags: [eritritol, milky-way, astrobiology, nature-astronomy, isac-hernandez-serra]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Sugar from space: Scientists found erythrulose in a dust cloud near the center of the Milky Way

In the center of our galaxy, in a huge cloud of gas and dust, researchers discovered sugar molecules. We are talking about erythrulose — a substance familiar to us from raspberries and tanning products. This discovery, reported by The Guardian, changes our understanding of the prevalence of organic compounds in the Universe.

### The first sugar in interstellar space

Until recently, sugar molecules had not been found beyond the Solar System. Erythrulose became the first such compound recorded in space. Dr. Izaskun Jimenez-Serra from the Spanish Astrobiology Center emphasizes: "This is the first sugar discovered in interstellar space, and it is important because it tells us that these sugars are more common than we previously thought".

### How sugar is born in the cold

Scientists believe that erythrulose was formed as a result of chemical reactions on the surface of microscopic particles of cosmic dust. The process is possible even at extremely low temperatures — down to minus 250 degrees Celsius. According to the study published in the journal Nature Astronomy, two organic substances played a key role: glycolaldehyde and ethylene glycol.

### From comets to life on Earth

The discovery is of fundamental importance for astrobiology. Scientists believe that such compounds could have been delivered to young planets along with comets and asteroids. In particular, during the Late Heavy Bombardment era, when Earth was subjected to intense impacts from celestial bodies, millions of tons of organic matter could have reached the planet. This could have become one of the key factors that prepared the ground for the emergence of life.

At the moment, erythrulose is not just a curious chemical fact, but a possible "messenger" from the depths of space that helped create the conditions for life on our planet and, possibly, on others.