Scientists have discovered liquid water and organic compounds essential for life on two ancient meteorites that fell to Earth almost 20 years ago.
The research is based on the first ever comprehensive analysis of halite (salt-containing) crystals found within Zag and Monahans, two 4.5 billion-year-old rocks believed to have come from the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
The study, published in Science Advances, appears to support data gathered in the recent years by Nasa's Dawn spacecraft that suggests building blocks of life may be present on some of the neighbouring asteroids, particularly Ceres, which is the largest object in the asteroid belt.
An international team, including scientists from the Open University (OU) in the UK and Nasa Johnson Space Centre in Texas, found amino acids - which form the basis of proteins, hydrocarbons - organic compounds made up of hydrogen and carbon, and liquid water - the most important ingredient required to support life, within the salt crystals.
The meteorites fell to Earth in 1998 but the technology available at that time did not have the capability to detect traces of amino acids.
Lead author Dr Queenie Chan, a postdoctoral researcher at OU, said: "We collected the tiny salt crystals from the meteorites and dissolved them in water so that we could extract the amino acids and separate any organic compounds to analyse them."
The team used Raman spectroscopy, a technique that uses light to detect the chemical composition of organic materials, to confirm the presence of water.
Dr Chan added: "Each salt crystal, which is about two millimetres in size and the colour of a blue sapphire, is essentially a little package full of organic compounds and the necessary building blocks of life.
"What's even more incredible is that the salt crystals from both meteorites are believed to be from the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt, Ceres, which suggests that it could be a suitable place for the formation of life."
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