Hubble Space Telescope finds charged soccer-shaped molecules in space

The video tutorial discusses Bucky balls, also known as C60, which are molecules made of 60 carbon atoms arranged in a hollow sphere. These molecules have been found on Earth in rare cases and have also been observed in space. Recently, scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope discovered ionized C60 in the interstellar medium (ISM), where ultraviolet light from stars ionizes the molecules. The ISM, previously thought too harsh for complex carbon-based molecules, contains various compounds, including helium and hydrogen, and is now known to sustain such molecules.

What are Bucky balls primarily composed of?

• 60 nitrogen atoms

• 60 carbon atoms

• 60 hydrogen atoms

• 60 oxygen atoms

Where have Bucky balls been found on Earth?

• In the ocean

• In glaciers

• In rocks and minerals

• In the atmosphere

How does C60 become ionized in space?

• By freezing in space

• By absorbing gamma rays

• By colliding with other molecules

• By ultraviolet light stripping off an electron

What is the interstellar medium primarily composed of?

• Helium and hydrogen

• Carbon and silicon

• Iron and nickel

• Oxygen and nitrogen

What was previously thought about the interstellar medium's ability to sustain complex carbon-based molecules?

• It was too cold

• It was too dense

• It was too harsh

• It was too bright