Cosmic Enigma: Astronomers Have Explained the Mystery of the Fullerenes in Space

Fullerenes are large, complex carbon molecules known for their durability. Their atoms are arranged in three-dimensional spherical structures that feature a pattern of alternating hexagons and pentagons. This arrangement resembles a soccer ball in the case of C60 fullerenes and a rugby ball for C70 fullerenes.

These molecules were discovered in the laboratory in 1985, which procured the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their three discoverers 11 years later. Since then there have been many instances of observational proof of their existence in space, especially within the gas clouds around old, dying stars the size of the Sun, called planetary nebulae, which have been expelled from the outer layers of the stars towards the end of their lives.