"Each new detection brings us closer to understanding the origins of complex organic chemistry in the universe — and perhaps, the origins of the building blocks of life themselves." Scientists are ...

At the heart of our galaxy lies a cosmic puzzle: although the Galactic Center is packed with star-making material, massive stars form there surprisingly slowly. Using NASA's retired SOFIA observatory, ...

The cosmic butterfly has also produced plenty of PAHs – large hydrocarbon molecules that could play a key early role in prebiotic chemistry. Cosmic dust particles that give birth to planets around ...

Aliza Chasan is a Digital Content Producer for "60 Minutes" and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza ...

Since the discovery of planetary nebulae in the late 1700s, astronomers have learned that these expanding shells of glowing gas expelled by low-intermediate mass stars late in their lives can come in ...

Scientists are claiming a "cosmic chemistry breakthrough" following the discovery of a large "aromatic" molecule in deep space. The discovery suggests that these molecules could help seed planetary ...