Cool Chem/Phys discovery: First type of molecule to form after Big Bang

Shortly after the Big Bang created the universe, the first atoms would have been the simplest, almost entirely hydrogen with small amounts of helium. About 100,000 years after the Big Bang, which is when the universe would have 'cooled down' enough for molecules to begin forming (i.e. chemistry starts up in the universe), one would expect helium hydride to be the first. This is helium and a hydrogen ion combining.

Astronomers have discovered helium hydride directly and for the first time in space. For those who study astrochemistry, this is similar to biologists who find candidates for the 'missing link' between species in the evolutionary process. Here, if scientists want to test that their models for chemistry during the evolution of the universe, finding helium hydride was essential.