In contemporary society and with the seeing power of some of the best telescopes in the world, it’s easy to assume that many of the planets in view can house life. But astrobiologists may have physical proof of life outside of earth with the discovery of genetic material on an asteroid.
A meteorite, estimated to have crashed in Australia in 1969, has been tested using gas chromatography and spectrometry. The results show a “heavy form of carbon” and the presence of nucleobases uracil and xanthine. This either proves the existence of life outside of earth or may be the key to accurately estimating how life came to exist on planet Earth. There is much debate regarding whether the genetic material formed whilst on Earth or entering the atmosphere or actually in outers-space. Scientists maintain that the heavy carbon preserving the DNA information was one not formable on earth and believe it physically could only have existed in outer-space. This information stems from a paper published in June 2008 which suggests that “parts of the raw materials to make the first molecules of DNA and RNA” may have come from outer-space. An author of the writing, by the ‘Imperial College’ London, is quoted:
"We believe early life may have adopted nucleobases from meteoritic fragments for use in genetic coding which enabled them to pass on their successful features to subsequent generations."
Unfortunately there isn’t much more information available to the public outside of science website newsreels, but the idea of this genetic material is exciting enough. It must be noted that as the public is unable to ascertain the journal detailing the findings, any information in this article may be inaccurate as it was sourced indirectly via the web.
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Works cited:
Martins, Z., 13th June 2008 "Scientists confirm that parts of earliest genetic material may have come from the star", viewed 27th March 2009, (http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_13-6-2008-14-44-59?newsid=38534) (image also from this site)
June 13, 2008, "Scientists confirm that parts of earliest genetic material may have come from the stars" viewed 27th March 2009, (http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/06/13/scientists.confirm.parts.earliest.genetic.material.may.have.come.stars)
