New Jersey meteorite holds amino acids that could explain life on Earth
· Toronto Sun
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Scientists in the United States are abuzz after a meteorite that slammed into a New Jersey home two years ago was found to contain amino acids and prebiotic molecules — the basic building blocks of life.
According to a paper published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances , the compounds found inside the meteorite could give researchers a fascinating look at the origins of life on Earth.
The meteorite, which streaked across the skies over New York City during the daylight hours on July 16, 2024, created a sonic boom that shook the area as it entered Earth’s atmosphere.
According to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, the rock is a rare carbonaceous chondrite meteorite — one of the most scientifically valuable types of meteorites ever recovered.
While much of the meteorite burned up in the atmosphere or shattered during its descent, a nearly 1-kg piece slammed into a house in Hillsborough, N.J., about 61 km from Lower Manhattan.
Rock believed to have come from nearby asteroids
The homeowner, who said the rock had a strong sulphur smell, used gloves to preserve the fragments in glass jars.
Inside the salty fluids trapped within the meteorite, scientists found amino acids — the basic building blocks of proteins — showing that the ingredients for life exist beyond Earth.
The discovery strongly backs theories that terrestrial life developed from primordial “starter kits” that collided with Earth billions of years ago.
According to the Science Advances paper , the meteorite is believed to have originated from the relatively nearby asteroids 162173 Ryugu and 101955 Bennu, the latter of which is thought to hold large amounts of water.
“The terrestrially-rare nonprotein amino acids including α-aminoisobutyric acid and racemic isovaline in the Hillsborough meteorite water extract are likely extraterrestrial in origin,” read an excerpt from the paper.
“The exogenous delivery of amino acids, carboxylic acids, and other soluble organic molecules by CM-type bodies and their fragments could have been an important source of the prebiotic organic inventory that led to the emergence of life on Earth.”