Helium hydride ion (HeH+): Universe’s first molecule detected in space

Scientists have detected the most ancient type of molecule in our universe in space for the first time ever.

Helium hydride ion (HeH+) was the first molecule that formed when, almost 14 billion years ago, falling temperatures in the young universe allowed recombination of the light elements produced in the Big Bang.

At that time, ionised hydrogen and neutral helium atoms reacted to form HeH+, said researchers from The Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) in Germany.

Read More: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/universes-first-molecule-detected-in-space-5685724/