How can amino acids such as Glycine exist under the harsh conditions of
interstellar space?
The conditions are not that harsh. Deep inside interstellar molecular clouds,
gas densities of thousands to millions of atoms per cc are possible under cold
conditions. Atoms that stick together on the surfaces of dust grains
remain there for a long time without being boiled off. So little ultraviolet
light penetrates deep inside these clouds that, in fact, these locations are
among the most gentle of all possible sites for forming large, exotic
molecules.
The above photo is from the Hubble Space Telescope of a dark nebula in Orion.
Copyright 1997 Dr. Sten Odenwald
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