Astronomers announced today that they have found the organic molecule methyl alcohol, or methanol, in the TW Hydrae protoplanetary disk. This is the first such detection of this chemical compound in a young planet-forming disk. Because methanol forms on the icy coatings of small dust grains, this discovery provides a window into the region where comets likely are forming.
Read More: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2016-13
Image: This artist's impression shows the closest known protoplanetary disk, around the star TW Hydrae in the huge constellation of Hydra (The Water Snake). The organic molecule methyl alcohol (methanol) has been found by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) in this disk. This is the first such detection of the compound in a young planet-forming disk, and points to a region where comets are forming.
ESO/M. Kornmesser