Jakarta, MISTAR.ID
Astronauts have described a number of unusual odors in space, which is not surprising considering that the chemistry is very different from that on Earth.
In summary from Space, Friday (12/1/24), outer space is a void. So technically you can’t breathe any odors in space and if you try you will die. However, space is not a vacuum.
Space is filled with a variety of molecules, some of which have a strong aroma when smelled on Earth. Learning what things smell like in different parts of space is an interesting way to gain a better understanding of cosmic chemistry.
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During the Apollo Moon landings, astronauts often commented on the smell of gunpowder after returning to the airlock, entering the lunar lander, and removing their helmets. Likewise, when walking in space, returning to the International Space Station brings with it the smell of gunpowder, as well as ozone and burnt steak.
NASA applies the scent of space to more than just curiosity. In 2008, the United States Space Agency commissioned Steven Pearce, a chemist at Omega Ingredients, specializing in fragrances and flavors, to reconstruct the smell of space for astronauts in training.
However, an astronaut must be able to distinguish between the smell of polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles (PANH) on their spacesuit and a dangerous chemical leak on the space station.
When the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft encountered comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014, it discovered various types of molecules in the comet’s coma, which is a circle of gas surrounding the comet’s solid nucleus.
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Among these molecules are hydrogen sulfide, which gives rotten eggs the bad smell of ammonia, reminiscent of the disgusting smell of urine, hydrogen cyanide, which, although notoriously poisonous, has a more pleasant odor like that of almonds, with the sweet smell of carbon disulphide and the marinated aroma of formalin. .
If there is a smell, it is likely to be very faint, because most of the comet’s composition is water vapor and carbon dioxide.
One place that has an atmosphere that can contain aromas is Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. However, the atmosphere doesn’t really help to smell anything.
There was no oxygen and the temperature was so cold – minus 292 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 179.6 degrees Celsius), that there was no choice but to take off the space helmet and take a deep breath. However, if you can, you will find that the Titan smells like gasoline.
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And what about other parts of the universe? Sagittarius B2, a giant interstellar molecular cloud of star-forming gas and dust less than 400 light-years from the center of the Milky Way, contains a variety of aromatic chemicals.
For one thing, these clouds contain a lot of alcohol, including phenyl alcohol, methanol, and ethanol, the type of alcohol found in beer.
In 2009, astronomers also detected the ethyl formate molecule in Sagittarius B2. Ethyl formiat is a chemical that gives raspberries and rum a sweet aroma.
Even if the center of the galaxy smells like a brewery, at least the aroma is exciting. (vv/hm16)
2024-01-12 10:42:49
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