Asteroid ice hints at rocky start to life on Earth

Published online April 28, 2010: Cool discovery suggests asteroids brought water and organic material. Zeeya Merali A slushy cocktail of water-ice and organic materials has been directly detected on the surface of an asteroid for the first time. The finding strengthens the theory that asteroids delivered the ingredients for Earth’s […]

Ancient Organic Particles from Space Discovered in Antarctica

A new family of extraterrestrial particles, probably of cometary origin, were discovered this spring by researchers from the Center for Nuclear Spectrometry and Mass Spectrometry (CSNSM) in central Antarctica. The micrometeorites, which are remarkably well preserved, are made up of organic matter containing small assemblages of minerals from the coldest […]