Did you know that the Milky Way is raspberry flavored? We’re not talking about a candy bar. We mean our galaxy. In 2009, scientists found the chemical ethyl formate. It was in a dust cloud deep inside the Milky Way. That same chemical gives raspberries their unique taste!

Our Creator is always surprising us, isn’t He? Romans 11:34 says, “Who has known the mind of the Lord?” As we study His creation, we become more and more amazed by Him. He wants and expects us to discover new things. Much of what we learn can be put to good use. But we don’t quite know how to use other pieces of knowledge. Having a scented galaxy is one of them!

Swiss scientists have discovered something else smelly. It’s a comet called 67P/C-G. The comet stinks. What would a whiff smell like? The scientists say it’s a combination of rotten eggs, vinegar, and horse urine. Ewwww.

How do they know? A spacecraft called Rosetta is a “comet chaser.” It caught up to 67P. It gathered some of the chemicals the comet gives off. The scientists who studied it confirmed: It stinks!

On November 12, Rosetta released a piece of equipment called a lander. It lived up to its name. It landed on the comet’s surface. The lander will gather more information about what makes up the comet. Scientists hope to learn how old the stinky comet is. Will its smell help us learn where in the galaxy it was formed?