Origins of Life
Astronomers have detected high levels of methanol and hydrogen cyanide in the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, marking the first such finding in an object from beyond our solar system. These carbon-rich compounds, essential for prebiotic chemistry, appear in greater quantities than in typical solar system comets. The discovery highlights differences in this third interstellar visitor's composition.
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Samples from asteroid Bennu, collected by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, have revealed the presence of ribose and other sugars, completing the set of ingredients needed to kick-start life as known on Earth. This discovery confirms that asteroids like Bennu could have delivered all prerequisites for life to our planet or others. The findings support the idea that life-building molecules formed in briny environments on ancient asteroids.