Why in News?

• The scientists of NASA have detected the first molecule which is Helium Hydride that was formed from stray atoms in the Universe

Highlights:

• NASA Scientists Detect First Molecule of Universe – Helium Hydride is a combination of helium and Hydrogen
• The research was published in the journal ‘Nature’.
• The researchers used the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations SOFIA, the world’s largest airborne observatory, to detect helium hydride in NGC 7027, a planetary Nebula about 3,000 light-years away from Earth.

What is SOFIA?

• Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a Boeing 747SP jetliner modified to carry a 106-inch diameter telescope

Significance of this discovery:

• Scientists for long had held that around 100,000 years after the big bang, helium and hydrogen combined to make a molecule called helium hydride for the first time
• But scientists could not find HeH+ in space and it was unproven
• The discovery brought a long search to a happy ending and eliminates doubts about our understanding of the underlying chemistry of the early universe