http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060404/sc_afp/spaceastronomyoffbeat_060404000657

I wouldn't drink from that keg, methanol will make you go blind. It used to be a problem fermenting corn with too much woody husk. One gets both methanol and ethanol.

 

What this observation suggests are carbon, oxygen and hydrogen being outputted by the local stars. There should also be nitrogen in there. These are all the stable small atoms of life stemming from nuclear fusion. As they leave the hot surface of stars they deionize to form stable molecules like methane, methanol, cyanide, water, annomia, depending on the atomic output distribution of the star to that point in time. The early sun probably made plenty of the small atoms of life. As its equilibrium fusion output shifted the atomic output blend, a ever widening variety of the building block molecules of life formed. We don't need aliens or asteroids.

Hmm if it was ethanol rather than methanol then I would have thought that the Australian space program was more advanced than I thought.

Suddenly, the desire for deep space exploration makes sense now.

 

I can only imagine the new NASA program, with Coors as a corporate sponser... what would the space ship be called?

PARTY OVER AT W3(OH)! sorry couldn't resist.

 

could this maybe be used as a natural fuel depot for methanol fueled rockets perhaps? it would make spacetravel a tad easier if we could get there. just need to find a suitibly large cloud of a good oxidser now.

Suddenly' date=' the desire for deep space exploration makes sense now.

 

I can only imagine the new NASA program, with Coors as a corporate sponser... what would the space ship be called?[/quote']

 

"Spam in a Can"?

aguy2

... what would the space ship be called?

 

The silver bullet?

great post, but where in the picture is the cloud?

"Coor de Lune"

Aguy2