NASA: THE ORIGIN OF LIFE in Carbon-rich molecules

Everyday tons of meteorites dust fall in the Earth, and they are very useful to the scientist because they afford them a possibility to study the carbon-rich molecules, which are contained there, in a very easy way. During these years scientists have studied these molecules and they have found them a very stable compound. They are essentially composed by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are structured in six-sided rings.

We can find PAHs in almost everything in the universe, but we can naturally find it only in a few matters: coal and petroleum.

PAHs are being created by the death of a giant-red star, but when they are first formed, they are composed only by hydrocarbons, whereas the compound found in the meteorites (billions of years later) is full of heavy hydrogen or oxygen.

So, how can they change?

Here is the NASA’s scientists discover. They answered to it accomplishing an experiment.

They put some iced water in space conditions (very low temperature, high vacuum, harsh radiation) and exposed it to ultraviolet radiation. They found the matter of the meteorites.

Drawn conclusions? A new molecule was being created: scientists call it QUINON. It is common to all forms of life, so it is connected with the origin of life, and with the reason of the habitability of planets, as well.

The matter of the meteorites was not a new, but how can the PAHs change after a long time, yes. This is a great innovation, and it will be very important for the study of life on other worlds.

“Molecules from space helped to make the Earth the pleasant place that it is today” said Allamandola, founder of the Ames Astrochemistry Laboratory.