Here's what you should know about Comet Lovejoy, aka the 'Happy Hour Comet'

A discovery about a comet announced late last week has more than just star-gazers buzzing. That's because the tail of comet Lovejoy is leaving behind a trail of alcohol.

Here's what you need to know about Lovejoy and the discovery.

It's the first known alcohol-spewing comet

Comet Lovejoy was discovered in 2011, but scientists just released new findings that earned it the nickname "Happy Hour Comet." In addition to the usual tail of gas and dust, Lovejoy is spewing ethyl alcohol (Yes, that's the kind people drink).

It's spewing sugar, too

The research, published in the Science Advances journal, found 21 different organic molecules in the gas that the comet spewed. One of those was glycolaldehyde, a simple sugar. Bring on the mixed drink jokes.

The discovery is good for more than a laugh

Though many are fascinated with the discovery itself, scientists are also encouraged by its potential implications. According to NASA, the findings support the hypothesis that comets, as frozen remnants of the social system, hold the key to the origin of life.

"The next step is to see if the organic material being found in comets came from the primordial cloud that formed the solar system or if it was created later on," explained Dominique Bockelee-Morvan, a co-author of the paper.

It's no small amount

We might need to cut this guy off. The team that discovered the comet said that Lovejoy expels about 500 bottles of wine worth of alcohol every second.

It's the Internet's new favorite comet

With that much alcohol involved, the Internet was bound to have fun with the findings. Here are some of the best reactions.