Deep Space Smells Like Raspberries and Rum

At the center of our galaxy lies Sagittarius B2, a giant molecular cloud that contains billions of liters of ethyl formate. This is the exact chemical compound responsible for the flavor of raspberries and the distinct smell of rum.

Astronomers searching for the building blocks of life found this chemical while scanning the cloud with a radio telescope. The cloud is massive, spanning 150 light-years across, and contains more alcohol than has ever been produced in human history. If you could fly through it and take a breath, the cosmos would smell like a fruity distillery.

But the cloud isn't just a galactic cocktail. It also contains propyl cyanide, a complex molecule with a branched carbon structure that suggests life's essential amino acids can form in the vacuum of space. The same chemistry that makes a berry taste sweet is swirling around a black hole.

Despite the pleasant scent, the cloud is incredibly cold and dense, serving as a nursery for new stars. As the gas collapses under gravity, it heats up, eventually igniting into a sun. This means new solar systems are literally being born out of a mist of raspberry scent.

Sagittarius B2 isn't the only 'flavored' part of space; researchers have also found molecules of acetic acid—the main ingredient in vinegar—floating nearby.