Deep space is filled with giant molecules that absorb starlight
The vast voids between stars are not empty, but are filled with massive, soot-like molecules that act as a cosmic fog.
For over a century, astronomers have been puzzled by dark 'gaps' in the light reaching Earth from distant stars. These gaps, known as Diffuse Interstellar Bands, occur because something in deep space is absorbing specific wavelengths of light. We now know the culprits are massive, carbon-rich molecules, including 'buckyballs'—hollow spheres made of 60 carbon atoms that look exactly like microscopic soccer balls.
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