Building blocks of life are found on asteroid

A two for one special ,

First there is a good possibility of life on Mars,

And We also have very good evidence to the possibility of life on an asteroid

We are all Descendants Of Space Pond Scum !


The Los Angeles Times
For the first time, scientists have discovered evidence of water ice, as well as organic compounds, on an asteroid -- findings that bolster a leading theory for the origins of life on Earth.

"Up until now there was no sign that asteroids had any abundant organics or ice on them," said Joshua P. Emery, a planetary astronomer at the University of Tennessee and an author of one of two studies on the discoveries. The new evidence supports the possibility that the essential building blocks of life came from asteroids.

The research, reported by two teams of scientists working independently, appeared online Wednesday in the journal Nature. Both teams' conclusions are based on analyses of infrared light reflected by 24 Themis, one of the largest asteroids in the solar system.

Because different materials absorb light at different wavelengths, scientists were able to establish the content of the asteroid by analyzing the light reflected by it. The asteroid contains water and organic compounds, or molecules containing carbon, the teams concluded. With water, such molecules are the building blocks for producing and sustaining living things.