Sci-Tech · 15 Jul 2026

erythrulose interstellar sugar detection

With reference to the recent detection of erythrulose in interstellar space, which one of the following statements is correct?

AErythrulose was detected on the surface of a meteorite that had recently fallen to Earth, confirming sugars can survive atmospheric entry
BErythrulose was detected inside a molecular cloud near the centre of the Milky Way, marking the first time a true sugar, rather than a precursor molecule, has been found in interstellar space
CErythrulose is an achiral molecule, meaning it has no mirror-image forms, which simplified its detection using radio telescopes
DThe discovery was made exclusively by Indian astronomers using the GMRT and published in a peer-reviewed Indian science journal
This question is based on: The Sugar That May Have Existed Before Earth Did
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About this question

Why in news

The findings were published in Nature Astronomy on July 13, 2026, strengthening the case that chemical building blocks of life can assemble in deep space independent of any planet.

Why for UPSC

UPSC's science-technology questions often test precise distinctions between "detected where" and "detected as what" - distinguishing a genuine discovery from a superficially similar but incorrect claim.

Prelims summary

Erythrulose, a chiral four-carbon sugar, was found for the first time in interstellar space (not on a meteorite) inside cloud G+0.693-0.027, by an international (non-Indian) team, published in Nature Astronomy.

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