"Initially, that is surprising," says Sara Seager of MIT in Cambridge, US, who was not involved in the study. Because HD 189733b orbits very close to its parent star – just 10% of Mercury's distance from the Sun, it is very hot, with atmospheric temperatures of about 700° Celsius. "When the temperature is this high, the dominant form of carbon should be carbon monoxide, not methane," says Seager.

Imagine a sunrise on that planet... after a long night of partying.

RE: Organic molecules found on alien world for first time - space - 11 February 2008 - New Scientist Space