Nasa discovers 'very weird' molecule that's never been seen before in atmosphere

A strange molecule has been found in the atmosphere of one of Saturn’s moons.

Nasa scientists found the peculiar compound, called cyclopropenylidene, on the moon Titan.

The molecule has never been detected before in any other atmosphere, yet this simple carbon-based formation could be a precursor to more complex compounds which may form, or feed, life forms on the moon.

Scientists first noticed the molecule, which is made of three carbon atoms and two hydrogen atoms, while sifting through light signatures collected by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Northern Chile.

“When I realized I was looking at cyclopropenylidene, my first thought was, ‘Well, this is really unexpected,’” said Conor Nixon, a planetary scientist at Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Centre who led the search.