For The First Time, Scientists Spot Life's Essentials Frozen In A Distant Galaxy

In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers have detected life-related organic molecules frozen in ice outside the Milky Way galaxy for the first time. The compounds were found in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighboring galaxy, surrounding a newborn star.

The research team, led by astrophysicist Marta Sewilo from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland, identified complex molecules such as ethanol, acetaldehyde, and methyl formate, all found in ice form, a first outside our galaxy. 

Even more remarkably, the team also detected acetic acid, a compound never conclusively identified in ice anywhere in space before. These molecules are considered essential building blocks for prebiotic chemistry, which can lead to the development of life.

Scientists say this discovery reinforces the idea that the ingredients for life are not unique to our solar system or galaxy. It suggests that the basic chemical components needed for life may be common across the universe, making the potential for life elsewhere more plausible.

"We currently only have one source in the Large Magellanic Cloud and only four sources with detection of these complex organic molecules in ices in the Milky Way. We need larger samples from both to confirm our initial results that indicate differences in COM abundances between these two galaxies," Sewilo said. "But with this discovery, we've made significant advancements in understanding how complex chemistry emerges in the universe and opening new possibilities for research into how life came to be."

The study, titled “Protostars at Subsolar Metallicity: First Detection of Large Solid-State Complex Organic Molecules in the Large Magellanic Cloud,” was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters on October 20, 2025, with support from NASA.

This research highlights how complex organic chemistry can form and survive in diverse and distant environments, even during the early stages of star formation.