Scientists on the airborne observatory SOFIA detected the first type of molecule that ever formed in the universe. They found the combination of helium and hydrogen, called helium hydride, in a planetary nebula near the constellation Cygnus. This discovery confirms a key part of our basic understanding of the early universe and how it evolved over billions of years into the complex chemistry of today.

Video Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center

Learn more: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-univ...

Planetary nebula image courtesy of NASA/ESA/Hubble Processing: Judy Schmidt

This video can be downloaded from the NASA Image and Video Library at: https://images.nasa.gov/details-ARC-2...

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