This is The Real Smell of Universe

We are talking today about the smell of the universe . Imagine that you could take a little and package it to be able to keep it wherever you want. Would you wonder what it smells like? Or what is its taste? What scientists have discovered is, for the moment, the smell that some celestial bodies and other types of material that roam through space give off.

Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge, The Chemist Who Discovered Coffee

Some peculiar smells of the universe Smell of Space

In our blog we have already talked about how everything we know around us, as long as it is alive, is based on carbon for its existence. But there are many more elements in the universe and they combine in different ways to give the most surprising aromas .

Let’s start from our galaxy, for example. In the center of the Milky Way, a molecular cloud is formed whose main elements are hydrogen sulfide and carbonyl . The result could not be worse, since we could identify it with manure or rotten eggs.

In the constellations of Magellan and Orion, other different clouds form, this time with a high concentration of ammonia. Surely you have ever smelled domestic ammonia, but this is even stronger: they compare it to the urine of dogs and rotting fish .

But there is much more to look for. Comets and meteorites have passed throughout the universe, most of which end up decomposed by combustion. This process releases molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons , and their smell could be similar to gasoline and barbecue. At least things are improving.

If we keep exploring the void that surrounds us, we find other components such as hydrogen cyanide and phosphine. Here we can include bitter almonds and garlic as the most characteristic scents, respectively.

Where is the center of the universe

But there are also places that are a little kinder to our noses. The star IRAS 16293-2422 has mainly glycoaldehydes in its interior, which under certain conditions can resemble the aroma of sugar .

For its part, the giant nebula Sagittarius B has a more attractive scent. The predominant chemical compound here is ethyl format, with a fragrance similar to rum and raspberries . Much better, right?

The planets and satellites that surround us

In our little Solar System we also have quite a huge variable. Since Neptune, which we would practically not be able to smell (it is composed of hydrogen and helium, two odorless gases ); to Venus. Our neighboring planet has a predominantly stinky atmosphere (similar to the center of the Milky Way), due to sulfur dioxide.

Something a little less serious happens to Uranus, which mixes hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and methane around it. With dire consequences. Or Titan, the largest satellite in the orbit of Saturn: in some laboratories the haze that covers this moon has been recreated, resulting in something similar to a gas station .

And, speaking of moons, ours has already been visited. On the few occasions the man has been there, a few jars of moon dust have been brought back. It is surprising (or not) that many describe it as ” the smell of a battlefield “, as if gunpowder and ashes were mixed.

Be that as it may, it seems that the universe is not the best place to go sniffing things. A good diving suit will protect us from these smells (and from pressure and lack of air, of course) if we want to walk up there for a while.