Astronomers have identified CD₃OD—methanol in which all four hydrogen atoms are replaced by deuterium—around the young protostar IRAS4A2. [1]
A molecular first
The COMPASS survey used ALMA spectra to identify ten sufficiently clear CD₃OD lines in IRAS4A2, roughly 1,000 light-years away in the Perseus molecular cloud. It is the first robust interstellar detection of this molecule and the first identified molecule carrying four deuterium atoms. [1][2]
The models miss it
The measured CD₃OD-to-methanol ratio is about 4 × 10⁻⁴. Published models underproduce multiply deuterated methanol by orders of magnitude, suggesting that an important cold-grain reaction or exchange process is absent. [1]
What to keep in mind
The result comes from one protostar. Methanol’s total abundance may be underestimated because the emitting region is barely resolved and could be clumpy. [1]
Sources & context
Numbered references link the explanation to its sources. Hypothetical examples and visual metaphors are labelled in the text. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Original study: Belloche et al. — COMPASS VII: First interstellar detection of fully deuterated methanol (accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics; arXiv posted 5 October 2026)
- Institutional announcement: Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy — First detection of heavy methanol in space (7 October 2026)
- Journal status: Astronomy & Astrophysics — peer-reviewed community journal
KEEP EXPLORING
How One Galaxy Can Appear Several TimesExplore · 3 min read
Stars Twinkle Because Earth’s Air Will Not Sit StillPeek · 1 min read
Webb Reads Collision Clues in Dust Around StarsNewsroom · 1 min readCURIOUS MINDS, SHARED IDEAS
Join the conversation
What surprised you? Share a thought or a question.
Loading reader responses…