Astronomers Reveal Interstellar Thread of One of Life’s Building Blocks

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head prefix="og: http://ogp.me/ns# fb: http://ogp.me/ns/fb#"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <base target="_top" /> <meta name="robots" content="index,follow" /> <meta name="description" content="Press Releases" /> <meta name="author" content="information@eso.org" /> <meta name="description" content="ESO, European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere" /> <meta name="keywords" content="ESO, eso.org, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Astronomie, Suedsternwarte, telescopes, detectors, comets, planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae, universe, NTT, VLT, VLTI, ALMA, ELT, La Silla, Paranal, Garching, Chile" /> <meta name="statvooVerification" content="f546f5bccd3fb7f8c5d8e97c6beab814" /> <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2001/" hreflang="x-default" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/australia/news/eso2001/" hreflang="en-au" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/unitedkingdom/news/eso2001/" hreflang="en-gb" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/ireland/news/eso2001/" hreflang="en-ie" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/czechrepublic/news/eso2001/" hreflang="cs" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/denmark/news/eso2001/" hreflang="da" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/netherlands/news/eso2001/" hreflang="nl" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/belgium-nl/news/eso2001/" hreflang="nl-be" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/finland/news/eso2001/" hreflang="fi" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/france/news/eso2001/" hreflang="fr" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/belgium-fr/news/eso2001/" hreflang="fr-be" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/switzerland-fr/news/eso2001/" hreflang="fr-ch" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/germany/news/eso2001/" hreflang="de" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/austria/news/eso2001/" hreflang="de-at" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/belgium-de/news/eso2001/" hreflang="de-be" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/switzerland-de/news/eso2001/" hreflang="de-ch" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/italy/news/eso2001/" hreflang="it" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/switzerland-it/news/eso2001/" hreflang="it-ch" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/poland/news/eso2001/" hreflang="pl" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/portugal/news/eso2001/" hreflang="pt" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/spain/news/eso2001/" hreflang="es" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/chile/news/eso2001/" hreflang="es-cl" /><link rel="alternate" href="https://www.eso.org/public/sweden/news/eso2001/" hreflang="sv" /> <link href="https://astrodon.social/@esoastronomy" rel="me"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://www.eso.org/public/archives/favicon.ico" /> <title>Astronomers Reveal Interstellar Thread of One of Life’s Building Blocks | ESO</title>  <style type="text/css"> @import url("https://fast.fonts.net/t/1.css?apiType=css&projectid=03892b9b-79f6-4f01-9746-af912ebf5e47"); </style> <link href="/public/archives/djp/css/main.4864dae012cc.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="https://feeds.feedburner.com/EsoTopNews" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="ESO Top News" /> <link href="https://feeds.feedburner.com/EsoAnnouncements" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="ESO Announcements" /> <link href="https://feeds.feedburner.com/ESOcast" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="ESOCast" /> <link href="https://recruitment.eso.org/jobs.rss" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Jobs@ESO" /> <link href="https://www.eso.org/public/blog/feed/" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="ESOblog" />  <meta property="fb:app_id" content="322213731148492" /><meta property="og:type" content="website" /><meta property="og:title" content="Astronomers Reveal Interstellar Thread of One of Life’s Building Blocks - ALMA and Rosetta map the journey of phosphorus " /><meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn.eso.org/images/screen/eso2001a.jpg" /><meta property="og:image:secure_url" content="https://cdn.eso.org/images/screen/eso2001a.jpg" /><meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /><meta property="og:url" content="https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2001/" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="www.eso.org" /><meta property="og:locale" content="en_GB" /><meta property="og:description" content="Phosphorus, present in our DNA and cell membranes, is an essential element for life as we know it. But how it arrived on the early Earth is something of a mystery. Astronomers have now traced the journey of phosphorus from star-forming regions to comets using the combined powers of ALMA and the European Space Agency’s probe Rosetta. Their research shows, for the first time, where molecules containing phosphorus form, how this element is carried in comets, and how a particular molecule may have played a crucial role in starting life on our planet." /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@ESO" /> <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@ESO" />  <script type="text/javascript"> var _paq = window._paq || []; /* tracker methods like "setCustomDimension" should be called before "trackPageView" */ _paq.push(['trackPageView']); _paq.push(['enableLinkTracking']); (function() { var u="/mtmo/"; _paq.push(['setTrackerUrl', u+'matomo.php']); _paq.push(['setSiteId', '1']); var d=document, g=d.createElement('script'), s=d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; g.type='text/javascript'; g.async=true; g.defer=true; g.src=u+'matomo.js'; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s); })(); </script>  </head> <body> <input type='hidden' name='csrfmiddlewaretoken' value='ia9cnlz6LkURhuas9m7gUYihOVMnEtOpWkjYUA4BNDMQwnvRbRd5JBLynTCkNknq' /> <div 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href="/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vista/camera/"> VIRCAM </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vista/4most/"> 4MOST </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vista/surveys/"> The VISTA surveys </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vista/consortium/"> The VISTA consortium </a></li></ul></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vst/"> VST <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-310" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vst/mirror/"> The VST mirrors </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vst/camera/"> OmegaCAM </a></li><li 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id="submenu-aim-318" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/swedish/simba/"> SIMBA </a></li></ul></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/ntt/"> New Technology Telescope <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-320" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/ntt/efosc2/"> EFOSC2 </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/ntt/emmi/"> EMMI </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/ntt/irspec/"> IRSPEC </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/ntt/sofi/"> SOFI </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/ntt/soxs/"> SOXS </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/ntt/susi2/"> SUSI and SUSI2 </a></li></ul></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/36/"> ESO 3.6-metre 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href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/mpg22/pisco/"> PISCO </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/mpg22/wfi/"> WFI </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/mpg22/infrared-photometer-spectrophotometer/"> Infrared Photometer/Spectrophotometer </a></li></ul></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/swiss/"> Swiss 1.2-metre Leonhard Euler Telescope <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-348" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/swiss/coralie/"> CORALIE </a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/rem/"> Rapid Eye Mount telescope </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/trappist/"> TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope–South </a></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/danish154/"> Danish 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href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/tarot/"> Télescope à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/1mschmidt/"> ESO 1-metre Schmidt telescope </a></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/152metre/"> ESO 1.52-metre telescope <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-362" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/152metre/bandc/"> Boller and Chivens Spectrograph </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/152metre/coude/"> Coudé Spectrograph </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/152metre/echelec/"> ECHELEC </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/152metre/rv-cass-spectrograph/"> RV Cass Spectrograph </a></li></ul></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/1metre/"> ESO 1-metre 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href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/05metre/double-channel-photometer/"> Double-Channel Photometer </a></li></ul></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/coude/"> Coudé Auxiliary Telescope <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-374" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/coude/ces/"> CES </a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/marly/"> MarLy 1-metre telescope </a></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/09metre/"> Dutch 0.9-metre telescope <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-377" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/09metre/walraven/"> Walraven Photometer </a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/t70/"> Swiss T70 telescope </a></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/bochum/"> Bochum 0.61-metre telescope <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-380" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/bochum/bochum-scanner/"> Bochum Scanner </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/bochum/bochum-photometer/"> Bochum Photometer </a></li></ul></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/danish05/"> Danish 0.5-metre telescope <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-383" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/danish05/danish-two-channel-hb-photometer/"> Two-Channel Hβ Photometer </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/danish05/danish-four-channel-uvby-photometer/"> Four-Channel uvby Photometer </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/danish05/danish-six-channel-uvby-hb-photometer/"> Six-Channel uvby–Hβ Photometer </a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/gpo/"> Grand Prisme Objectif telescope </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/swiss04/"> Swiss 0.4-metre telescope </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/marseille/"> Marseille 0.36-metre telescope </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/grb/"> GRB Monitoring System </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/mascara/"> MASCARA </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/blackgem/"> BlackGEM </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/extra/"> ExTrA </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/test-bed/"> Test-Bed 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href="/public/teles-instr/apex/p-artemis/"> P-ArTéMiS </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/apex/pi230/"> PI230 </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/apex/polka/"> PolKa </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/apex/saboca/"> SABOCA </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/apex/sepia/"> SEPIA </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/apex/shefi/"> SHeFI </a></li></ul></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/alma/"> ALMA <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-411" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/alma/antennas/"> Antennas </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/alma/transporters/"> Transporters </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/alma/interferometry/"> Interferometry </a></li><li class=""><a 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class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="https://www.eso.org/public/science/event-horizon/"> First image of a black hole </a></li><li class=""><a href="https://www.eso.org/public/science/EHT-MilkyWay/"> First image of the Milky Way central black hole </a></li><li class=""><a href="https://www.eso.org/public/science/gc/"> More about the black hole at the galactic centre </a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a href="/public/science/grb/"> Gamma-Ray Bursts </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/science/archive/"> Science Archive </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </li> <li><a href="/public/events/">Events<span class="fa fa-angle-down level0-children-arrows"></span></a> <span class="mobile-children"> <span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span> </span> <div class="level1-wrapper"> <div class="level1"> <ul id="submenu-aim-436" class="submenu-aim"> <li class=""><a href="/public/events/press-evt/"> Press Events </a></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/events/special-evt/"> Special Events <span 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left-column"> <h3 class="pr_typeid">Press Release</h3> <h1 class="pr_title">Astronomers Reveal Interstellar Thread of One of Life’s Building Blocks</h1> <h3>ALMA and Rosetta map the journey of phosphorus</h3> <p class="date">15 January 2020</p> <div class="archive-image popup"> <a class="popup" href="https://cdn.eso.org/images/screen/eso2001a.jpg" title="Phosphorus-bearing molecules found in a star-forming region and comet 67P"> <div class="image-container"> <img class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/newsfeature/eso2001a.jpg" class="pr_news_feature_img img-responsive" style="padding:0;" alt="Phosphorus-bearing molecules found in a star-forming region and comet 67P" /> </div> </a> <a class="popup" href="https://cdn.eso.org/images/screen/eso2001b.jpg" title="ALMA view of the star-forming region AFGL 5142" class="hidden"></a><a class="popup" href="https://cdn.eso.org/images/screen/eso2001c.jpg" title="Rosetta view of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko" class="hidden"></a><a class="popup" href="https://cdn.eso.org/images/screen/eso2001d.jpg" title="Location of AFGL 5142 in the constellation of Auriga" class="hidden"></a><a class="popup" href="https://cdn.eso.org/images/screen/eso2001e.jpg" title="Wide-field view of the region of the sky where AFGL 5142 is located" class="hidden"></a> </div> </p> <p class="text_intro pr_first">Phosphorus, present in our DNA and cell membranes, is an essential element for life as we know it. But how it arrived on the early Earth is something of a mystery. Astronomers have now traced the journey of phosphorus from star-forming regions to comets using the combined powers of ALMA and the European Space Agency’s probe Rosetta. Their research shows, for the first time, where molecules containing phosphorus form, how this element is carried in comets, and how a particular molecule may have played a crucial role in starting life on our planet.</p> <p dir="ltr">"<em>Life appeared on Earth about 4 billion years ago, but we still do not know the processes that made it possible,</em>" says Víctor Rivilla, the lead author of a new study published today in the journal <em>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</em>. The new results from the <a href="https://eso.org/public/teles-instr/alma/">Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array</a> (ALMA), in which the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is a partner, and from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Rosetta/ROSINA">ROSINA instrument on board Rosetta</a>, show that phosphorus monoxide is a key piece in the origin-of-life puzzle.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the power of ALMA, which allowed a detailed look into the star-forming region AFGL 5142, astronomers could pinpoint where phosphorus-bearing molecules, like phosphorus monoxide, form. New stars and planetary systems arise in cloud-like regions of gas and dust in between stars, making these interstellar clouds the ideal places to start the search for life’s building blocks. </p> <p dir="ltr">The ALMA observations showed that phosphorus-bearing molecules are created as massive stars are formed. Flows of gas from young massive stars open up cavities in interstellar clouds. Molecules containing phosphorus form on the cavity walls, through the combined action of shocks and radiation from the infant star. The astronomers have also shown that phosphorus monoxide is the most abundant phosphorus-bearing molecule in the cavity walls.</p> <p dir="ltr">After searching for this molecule in star-forming regions with ALMA, the European team moved on to a Solar System object: the now-famous comet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/67P/Churyumov%E2%80%93Gerasimenko">67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko</a>. The idea was to follow the trail of these phosphorus-bearing compounds. If the cavity walls collapse to form a star, particularly a less-massive one like the Sun, phosphorus monoxide can freeze out and get trapped in the icy dust grains that remain around the new star. Even before the star is fully formed, those dust grains come together to form pebbles, rocks and ultimately comets, which become transporters of phosphorus monoxide.</p> <p dir="ltr">ROSINA, which stands for Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis, collected data from 67P for two years as Rosetta orbited the comet. Astronomers had found hints of phosphorus in the ROSINA data before, but they did not know what molecule had carried it there. Kathrin Altwegg, the Principal Investigator for Rosina and an author in the new study, got a clue about what this molecule could be after being approached at a conference by an astronomer studying star-forming regions with ALMA: “<em>She said that phosphorus monoxide would be a very likely candidate, so I went back to our data and there it was!</em>”</p> <p dir="ltr">This first sighting of phosphorus monoxide on a comet helps astronomers draw a connection between star-forming regions, where the molecule is created, all the way to Earth.</p> <p dir="ltr">“<em>The combination of the ALMA and ROSINA data has revealed a sort of chemical thread during the whole process of star formation, in which phosphorus monoxide plays the dominant role,</em>” says Rivilla, who is a researcher at the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory of INAF, Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics.</p> <p dir="ltr">“<em>Phosphorus is essential for life as we know it,</em>” adds Altwegg. “<em>As comets most probably delivered large amounts of organic compounds to the Earth, the phosphorus monoxide found in comet 67P may strengthen the link between comets and life on Earth</em>.”</p> <p dir="ltr">This intriguing journey could be documented because of the collaborative efforts between astronomers. “<em>The detection of phosphorus monoxide was clearly thanks to an interdisciplinary exchange between telescopes on Earth and instruments in space</em>,” says Altwegg.</p> <p dir="ltr">Leonardo Testi, ESO astronomer and ALMA European Operations Manager, concludes: “<em>Understanding our cosmic origins, including how common the chemical conditions favourable for the emergence of life are, is a major topic of modern astrophysics. While ESO and ALMA focus on the observations of molecules in distant young planetary systems, the direct exploration of the chemical inventory within our Solar System is made possible by ESA missions, like Rosetta. The synergy between world leading ground-based and space facilities, through the collaboration between ESO and ESA, is a powerful asset for European researchers and enables transformational discoveries like the one reported in this paper.</em>”</p> <h3>More information</h3><p dir="ltr">This research was presented in a paper to appear in <em>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The team is composed of V. M. Rivilla (INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Florence, Italy [INAF-OAA]), M. N. Drozdovskaya (Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, Switzerland [CSH]), K. Altwegg (Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Switzerland), P. Caselli (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching, Germany), M. T. Beltrán (INAF-OAA), F. Fontani (INAF-OAA), F.F.S. van der Tak (SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, and Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands), R. Cesaroni (INAF-OAA), A. Vasyunin (Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia, and Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, Latvia), M. Rubin (CSH), F. Lique (LOMC-UMR, CNRS–Université du Havre), S. Marinakis (University of East London, and Queen Mary University of London, UK), L. Testi (INAF-OAA, ESO Garching, and Excellence Cluster “Universe”, Germany), and the ROSINA team (H. Balsiger, J. J. Berthelier, J. De Keyser, B. Fiethe, S. A. Fuselier, S. Gasc, T. I. Gombosi, T. Sémon, C. -y. Tzou).</p> <p dir="ltr">The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of ESO, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC) and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA. </p> <p dir="ltr">ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world’s most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It has 16 Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile and with Australia as a Strategic Partner. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its world-leading Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as two survey telescopes, VISTA working in the infrared and the visible-light VLT Survey Telescope. Also at Paranal ESO will host and operate the Cherenkov Telescope Array South, the world’s largest and most sensitive gamma-ray observatory. ESO is also a major partner in two facilities on Chajnantor, APEX and ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become “the world’s biggest eye on the sky”.</p> <p>Rosetta is an ESA mission. It launched in 2004 and rendezvoused with Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in 2014 to study it close up as it orbited around the Sun. It also deployed the lander Philae onto the comet's surface. Rosetta completed its mission by descending to the comet on 30 September 2016.</p> <p>Browse Rosetta's images <a href="https://imagearchives.esac.esa.int/">here</a>.</p> <p>All <a href="https://archives.esac.esa.int/psa/#!Table%20View/Rosetta=mission">Rosetta mission data</a> is available in ESA's planetary science archive, <a href="https://archives.esac.esa.int/psa/">here</a>.</p> <h3>Links</h3><ul> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso2001/eso2001a.pdf">Research paper</a></li> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.eso.org/public/images/archive/search/?adv=&subject_name=Atacama%20Large%20Millimeter/submillimeter%20Array">Photos of ALMA</a></li> </ul> <h3>Contacts</h3> <p> Víctor Rivilla<br /> INAF Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory<br /> Florence, Italy<br /> Tel: +39 055 2752 319<br /> Email: <a href="mailto:rivilla@arcetri.astro.it">rivilla@arcetri.astro.it</a></p> <p> Kathrin Altwegg<br /> University of Bern<br /> Bern, Switzerland<br /> Tel: +41 31 631 44 20<br /> Email: <a href="mailto:kathrin.altwegg@space.unibe.ch">kathrin.altwegg@space.unibe.ch</a></p> <p> Leonardo Testi<br /> European Southern Observatory<br /> Garching bei München, Germany<br /> Tel: +49 89 3200 6541<br /> Email: <a href="mailto:ltesti@eso.org">ltesti@eso.org</a></p> <p> Bárbara Ferreira<br /> ESO Public Information Officer<br /> Garching bei München, Germany<br /> Tel: +49 89 3200 6670<br /> Cell: +49 151 241 664 00<br /> Email: <a href="mailto:pio@eso.org">pio@eso.org</a></p> <p><a href="/public/outreach/social/">Connect with ESO on social media</a></p> <div class="copyright"> <a href="/public/outreach/copyright/">Usage of ESO Images, Videos, Web texts and Music</a><br /> <a href="/public/outreach/pressmedia/#epodpress_form">Are you a journalist? Subscribe to the ESO Media Newsletter in your language.</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-3 right-column"> <div class="archive-search"><a href="/public/news/search/" class="advanced-search" data-container="body" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="left" title="Advanced Search"><span class="fa fa-plus"></span></a><form class="form-inline" role="form" action="/public/news/" method="GET"><div class="form-group"><div class="input-group"><input id="id_archivesearch" type="text" value="" placeholder="Search Press Releases..." name="search" class="form-control input-sm" /><span class="input-group-btn"><button class="btn btn-default btn-sm" type="submit"><span class="fa fa-search"></span></button></span></div></div></form></div> <div class="object-info"><h3>About the Release</h3><div><table><tr><td class="title">Release No.:</td><td>eso2001</td></tr><tr><td class="title">Name:</td><td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko">67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko</a>, AFGL 5142</td></tr><tr><td class="title">Type:</td><td>Solar System : Interplanetary Body : Comet<br />Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Star Formation</td></tr><tr><td class="title">Facility:</td><td><a href="https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/alma/">Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array</a></td></tr><tr><td class="title">Science data:</td><td><a href="https://telbib.eso.org/detail.php?bibcode=2020MNRAS.492.1180R">2020MNRAS.492.1180R</a></td></tr></table></div></div> <div class="embedded-list"> <h3>Images</h3> <div class="embedded-list-image"> <a href="/public/images/eso2001a/"> <img class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/eso2001a.jpg" alt="Phosphorus-bearing molecules found in a star-forming region and comet 67P" /> </a> <div><a href="/public/images/eso2001a/">PR Image eso2001a</a></div> <div>Phosphorus-bearing molecules found in a star-forming region and comet 67P </div> </div> <div class="embedded-list-image"> <a href="/public/images/eso2001b/"> <img class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/eso2001b.jpg" alt="ALMA view of the star-forming region AFGL 5142" /> </a> <div><a href="/public/images/eso2001b/">PR Image eso2001b</a></div> <div>ALMA view of the star-forming region AFGL 5142 </div> </div> <div class="embedded-list-image"> <a href="/public/images/eso2001c/"> <img class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/eso2001c.jpg" alt="Rosetta view of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko" /> </a> <div><a href="/public/images/eso2001c/">PR Image eso2001c</a></div> <div>Rosetta view of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko </div> </div> <div class="embedded-list-image"> <a href="/public/images/eso2001d/"> <img class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/eso2001d.jpg" alt="Location of AFGL 5142 in the constellation of Auriga" /> </a> <div><a href="/public/images/eso2001d/">PR Image eso2001d</a></div> <div>Location of AFGL 5142 in the constellation of Auriga </div> </div> <div class="embedded-list-image"> <a href="/public/images/eso2001e/"> <img class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/eso2001e.jpg" alt="Wide-field view of the region of the sky where AFGL 5142 is located" /> </a> <div><a href="/public/images/eso2001e/">PR Image eso2001e</a></div> <div>Wide-field view of the region of the sky where AFGL 5142 is located </div> </div> </div> <hr> <div class="embedded-list"> <h3>Videos</h3> <div class="embedded-list-video"> <a href="/public/videos/eso2001a/"><img class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.eso.org/videos/news/eso2001a.jpg" alt="ESOcast 215 Light: Interstellar Thread of One of Life’s Building Blocks Revealed" /></a> <div><a href="/public/videos/eso2001a/">PR Video 1</a></div> <div>ESOcast 215 Light: Interstellar Thread of One of Life’s Building Blocks Revealed </div> </div> <div class="embedded-list-video"> <a href="/public/videos/eso2001b/"><img class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.eso.org/videos/news/eso2001b.jpg" alt="Zooming into star-forming region AFGL 5142" /></a> <div><a href="/public/videos/eso2001b/">PR Video 2</a></div> <div>Zooming into star-forming region AFGL 5142 </div> </div> <div class="embedded-list-video"> <a href="/public/videos/eso2001c/"><img class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.eso.org/videos/news/eso2001c.jpg" alt="Animated view of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko" /></a> <div><a href="/public/videos/eso2001c/">PR Video 3</a></div> <div>Animated view of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko </div> </div> <div class="embedded-list-video"> <a href="/public/videos/eso2001d/"><img class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.eso.org/videos/news/eso2001d.jpg" alt="Animated view of phosphorus-bearing molecules found in a star-forming region and comet 67P" /></a> <div><a href="/public/videos/eso2001d/">PR Video 4</a></div> <div>Animated view of phosphorus-bearing molecules found in a star-forming region and comet 67P </div> </div> <hr> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="row footernote"> <div 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href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa-brands fa-facebook-f" aria-hidden="true"></i></a> </div> <div class="link twitter" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="right" title="Share on X/Twitter"> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2001/&text=Phosphorus, present in our DNA and cell membranes, is an essential element for life as we know it. But how it arrived on the early Earth is something of a mystery. Astronomers have now traced the journey of phosphorus from star-forming regions to comets using the combined powers of ALMA and the European Space Agency’s probe Rosetta. Their research shows, for the first time, where molecules containing phosphorus form, how this element is carried in comets, and how a particular molecule may have played a crucial role in starting life on our planet.&via=ESO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa-brands fa-x-twitter"></i></i></a> </div> <div class="link pinterest" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="right" title="Share on Pinterest"> <a href="https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2001/&media=&description=Phosphorus, present in our DNA and cell membranes, is an essential element for life as we know it. But how it arrived on the early Earth is something of a mystery. Astronomers have now traced the journey of phosphorus from star-forming regions to comets using the combined powers of ALMA and the European Space Agency’s probe Rosetta. Their research shows, for the first time, where molecules containing phosphorus form, how this element is carried in comets, and how a particular molecule may have played a crucial role in starting life on our planet." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa-brands fa-pinterest-p" aria-hidden="true"></i></a> </div> <div class="link print" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="right" title="Print"> <a href="javascript:window.print()" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa fa-print" aria-hidden="true"></i></a> </div> <div class="link email" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="right" title="Share by email"> <a href="mailto:%20?subject=ESO — Phosphorus, present in our DNA and cell membranes, is an essential element for life as we know it. But how it arrived on the early Earth is something of a mystery. Astronomers have now traced the journey of phosphorus from star-forming regions to comets using the combined powers of ALMA and the European Space Agency’s probe Rosetta. Their research shows, for the first time, where molecules containing phosphorus form, how this element is carried in comets, and how a particular molecule may have played a crucial role in starting life on our planet.&body=https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa-regular fa-envelope" aria-hidden="true"></i></a> </div> </div> <script> $('[data-toggle="tooltip"]').tooltip(); </script> <input type='hidden' name='csrfmiddlewaretoken' value='ia9cnlz6LkURhuas9m7gUYihOVMnEtOpWkjYUA4BNDMQwnvRbRd5JBLynTCkNknq' /> </body> </html>

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Astronomers Reveal Interstellar Thread of One of Life’s Building Blocks | ESO