Commonly observed in laboratories, spherical fullerenes or buckyballs recently made their first appearance to man in space through NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope’s Infrared Spectrograph.

Buckyballs are carbon molecules known for their distinct soccer ball shape. According to astronomer Jan Cami, the fullerenes are the largest molecules to be observed in space. The discovery has roused a lot of excitement among researchers as the substance possesses unique properties that may shed more light on the physical and chemical processes going on in space. In particular, the existence of this substance in space may explain the occurrence of diffuse interstellar bonds, chemical signatures first observed by researchers in 1922.

Fullerenes (C60 and C70) are the third form of carbon after graphite and diamond. Their spherical, soccer ball-like structures make them incredibly stable, making them highly suited to survive the harsh conditions of planetary nebulae. Many scientists have tried to search for their existence in outer space to no avail, until July of this year.

Cami and his team were not even looking for buckyballs when they found them last month. They were simply observing a planetary nebula named Tc 1, which, at the time, was acting in a very interesting manner. Planetary nebulas are the remnants of stars, like the sun, consisting of glowing clouds of ionized gas and dust shed during the star’s later years. The fullerenes were found in these clouds, creating vibrations that either absorb or generate infrared light. It was by chance that the telescope was able to detect the distinct spectral signatures emanated by the vibrating carbon molecules. A century from now, the buckyballs might be too cool to be detected.

The discovery of fullerenes in space raises the potential for the existence of other elements or chemical reactions, hitherto unobserved. The discovery and exploration of such materials could lead to technological discoveries with immeasurable new applications in various industries that are constantly looking for the latest development.