Metanin

Metanin is a hypothetical chemical compound that has been proposed as a constituent of some extraterrestrial atmospheres. It is a simple molecule composed of one carbon atom and one hydrogen atom, giving it the chemical formula CH. This would make it the simplest possible hydrocarbon. The existence of metanin in significant quantities in any known celestial body's atmosphere is currently speculative and has not been definitively confirmed through direct observation or measurement.

Theoretical models of planetary atmospheres and the conditions under which organic molecules might form have sometimes included metanin as a possible product. Such models are often explored in the context of astrobiology and the search for life beyond Earth, as simple carbon-based molecules are considered building blocks for more complex organic compounds. However, the extreme instability of metanin under typical atmospheric conditions, particularly in the presence of ultraviolet radiation or oxygen, makes its long-term survival unlikely on many planetary surfaces. Researchers continue to investigate the potential for such molecules to exist in specific, perhaps unusual, extraterrestrial environments.