Phosphorus Found in Earliest Stage of Star Formation

Phosphorus Found in Earliest Stage of Star Formation

For the first time, astronomers have detected phosphorus-bearing molecules—key ingredients of DNA and RNA—in a cold, starless core, one of the earliest phases of star formation. Using the IRAM 30-meter and Yebes 40-meter telescopes, researchers identified phosphorus mononitride (PN), phosphorus monoxide (PO), and the phosphorus oxide ion (PO⁺) in a pristine interstellar cloud 1,000 light-years away in the Perseus region. This rare discovery, led…