Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Ancient Comets Carried Organic Compounds, But They Didn't Survive Crashing Into Earth

This artist's illustration shows an ancient comet smashing into the ancient Earth. Scientists have wondered if comets could have delivered life's essential building blocks to our young planet, since we now know that comets carry organic molecules important for prebiotic chemistry. But new research says this picture is unlikely. Image Credit: Scarlett White

Perhaps the biggest mystery we face is life on Earth started. One hypothesis says that comets, which are known to carry important chemicals in abiogenesis, delivered these compounds to Earth, leading to the appearance of life. But new research concludes that that is highly unlikely.



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