Extraterrestrial water and DNA building blocks are found on the space rock that crashed into a field in Gloucestershire (the United Kingdom) back in 2021.
An unusual meteorite that managed to enter the atmosphere last year fell in the UK. This occurred in a meadow in the Gloucestershire town.
Twelve months later, researchers found that the space rock contained DNA building blocks and alien water. The Winchcombe meteorite was the first of its kind to be found in the UK.
The public and scientists made sure it was collected as soon as possible, keeping it virtually pure for researchers to investigate the components it contained. Scientists have now reported their findings in the journal Science Advances.
Their study lends credence to the idea that meteorites from outer space, like the Winchcombe meteorite, brought the essential substances and chemicals that ultimately gave birth to life on Earth.
Necessary ingredients for life
The Winchcombe meteorite is remarkably well maintained, according to the report, which was co-led by Dr. Ashley King, a meteorite specialist at the Natural History Museum (NHM).
This made it feasible to discover that it had all the elements required for life to spontaneously arise. The water it brought with it is much more interesting.
Based on hydrogen isotopes, the meteorite's water composition is remarkably similar to that of Earth's oceans, and amino acids, which are necessary for the synthesis of DNA, are also present.
More significantly, scientists were certain that the meteorite had not been polluted on Earth, ensuring that the results they had obtained were accurate.
The discovery also lends credence to the idea that carbonaceous asteroids helped bring these compounds to Earth after its creation. The Winchcombe meteorite originated more than 300 million kilometers distant from Earth, despite the fact that it landed near Gloucestershire.
Piece of a larger asteroid
Scientists were able to determine the meteorite's course by using the cameras that recorded its descent to Earth. Scientists claim that the space rock that finally crashed to Earth was a fragment of a bigger asteroid.
For millions of years, the parent body probably orbited the sun halfway between Mars and Jupiter.
The space rock had been exposed to the sun's solar wind, according to analysis. This is a clear indication that it was on the parent body for a considerable amount of time.
Then something happened that caused a collision with another heavenly body. According to scientists, the asteroid was destroyed by the asteroid belt less than 300,000 years ago.
It ultimately launched tiny space pebbles in all directions, one of which finally hit Earth. It dropped at a speed of almost 13 kilometers per second. This travels around fifteen times as rapidly as a rifle bullet. But it still holds the record for moving the slowest.
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