In a first-of-its-kind discovery, scientists have identified complex organic molecules frozen in ice outside the Milky Way galaxy.
The compounds were detected in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighboring galaxy, surrounding a newborn star.
The research team, led by astrophysicist Marta Sewilo from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland, found molecules such as ethanol, acetaldehyde, and methyl formate — all in ice form.
This marks the first time these complex organic molecules have been detected in ice beyond our galaxy.
Even more notably, the team discovered acetic acid — a compound never conclusively identified in ice anywhere in space before. These molecules are considered vital for prebiotic chemistry, which can lead to the development of life.
According to scientists, the finding strengthens the idea that life’s basic ingredients are not unique to our solar system or even our galaxy. It suggests that the fundamental chemical components necessary for life may be widespread across the universe, increasing the likelihood of life existing elsewhere.
Sewilo said that they currently had only one source in the Large Magellanic Cloud and only four sources with detections of complex organic molecules in ices within the Milky Way. She explained that larger samples from both galaxies were needed to confirm their initial results, which indicated differences in the abundances of complex organic molecules between the two galaxies. She added that with this discovery, they had made significant advancements in understanding how complex chemistry emerges in the universe, opening new possibilities for research into how life came to be.
The study, titled “Protostars at Subsolar Metallicity: First Detection of Large Solid-State Complex Organic Molecules in the Large Magellanic Cloud,” was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters on October 20, 2025, with support from NASA.
Researchers say the findings shed new light on how complex organic chemistry can form and endure in diverse and distant environments, even during the earliest stages of star formation.