Developments in Brief : Halley’s Comet Halo May Contain Gas Molecules That Predate Solar System

Scientists have found evidence that the gassy halo of Halley’s comet contains tiny chains of formaldehyde molecules that may be older than the solar system. The evidence comes from data collected by the Giotto spacecraft as it flew by the comet in March, 1986, according to two papers in the current issue of Science magazine.

Comets are considered remnants of the gas and dust that condensed to create the sun and its planets. The presence of formaldehyde chains in Halley’s comet suggests that they formed before the sun appeared, researchers said. Formaldehyde is made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, among the most abundant elements in space.

Previous studies have found evidence of formaldehyde chains in outer space clouds, according to Robert Lin of the University of California, Berkeley, an author of the Science papers.