Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery by creating methanetetrol, a molecule nicknamed a "super alcohol," in a lab. This unstable compound, made of four hydroxyl groups (OH) attached to one carbon atom, was first predicted over 100 years ago but never seen until now. Unlike the alcohol in drinks, methanetetrol is too fragile to exist on Earth and can only form under extreme conditions.

To make it, an international team of researchers built artificial space ice by freezing carbon dioxide and water at very low temperatures in a vacuum. They then hit the ice with high-energy radiation, mimicking the cosmic rays from stars and supernovae in space. This triggered a chemical reaction that produced methanetetrol.

The team shared their findings in a paper in Nature Communications, saying, "The detection of methanetetrol in space-simulation experiments demonstrates that the interstellar medium is host to an unanticipated and counterintuitive chemistry that demands scientific attention." This discovery suggests that strange and unexpected reactions might be happening in the cold ice and dust clouds between stars.

ALSO SEE: A Scientist Was Urged Not To Take A Risky Cosmic Image. He Didn't Listen.

The researchers believe this finding could help us understand how life might start on other planets, not just through this molecule but also others it might lead us to discover. They added, "This molecule's identification here represents a blind spot and the lack of its detection to date in the terrestrial environment is evidence of the counter-intuitive chemistry of the interstellar medium and justification for its promotion."

Scientists now want to search for methanetetrol in deep space, where it naturally forms. However, this won't be easy. The molecule breaks apart quickly when exposed to light and the team only caught a brief glimpse of it in the lab. Last year, some of the same researchers found another rare molecule called methanetriol, showing that space chemistry is full of surprises.

Chemist Ralf Kaiser from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa said, "This work pushes the boundaries of what we know about chemistry in space." Experts estimate we've only identified about 1% of the chemicals in space, but with better tools and telescopes, scientists are learning more every day.

ALSO SEE: Earth Is Getting Bombarded By Radiation Jets From Supermassive Black Hole Lurking In Deep Space

(Image: NASA)