Organic Finds on Asteroid

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Member Since: June 2003 Posts: 3,299 Send Message	Len of the Chilterns	Report	5 May 2010 22:34
Member Since: June 2003 Posts: 3,299 Send Message	Water ice and organic materials have been found on the surface of a large asteroid, reports the Telegraph. Discovered on a large space rock in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, its presence lends support to the theory that life on Earth originated elsewhere. Josh Emery, from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, said: ''The organic’s we detected appear to be complex, long-chained molecules. Raining down on a barren Earth in meteorites, these could have given a big kick-start to the development of life.'' The find on the 200-kilometer wide asteroid 24 Themis has come as a surprise – it would normally be expected to evaporate quickly. The discovery has raised questions about the origins of life and could provide clues when searching for life outside our own solar system.