Hubble Space Telescope finds charged soccer-shaped molecules in space

The video tutorial discusses Bucky balls, also known as C60, which are molecules made of 60 carbon atoms arranged in a hollow sphere. These molecules have been found on Earth in rare cases and have also been observed in space. Recently, scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope discovered ionized C60 in the interstellar medium (ISM), where ultraviolet light from stars ionizes the molecules. The ISM, previously thought too harsh for complex carbon-based molecules, contains various compounds, including helium and hydrogen, and is now known to sustain such molecules.

What are Bucky balls and what is their chemical composition?

What is the significance of the Hubble Space Telescope's discovery related to Bucky balls?

Describe the conditions under which C60 becomes ionized in the interstellar medium.

What challenges were previously associated with the interstellar medium regarding complex carbon-based molecules?

Explain the composition of the interstellar medium and its relevance to carbon-based molecules.