Did life on Earth actually begin after comets hit the surface of our planet?
New data obtained by the European Space Agency (ESA)'s comet lander Philae seem to bolster this theory of life from space rocks.
Complex molecules that could be key building blocks of life were discovered on the surface of Comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko, according to a new research published by ESA scientists in a special edition of the journal "Science."
Four different compounds that have never been detected before in any other comets were found by the Philae lander. These compounds, according to the ESA, "play a key role in the prebiotic synthesis of amino acids, sugars and nucleobases: the ingredients for life."
For instance, the Philae lander detected the complex molecule formaldehyde on Comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko, which is essential in forming of ribose, which, ultimately features in molecules like DNA present in living creatures.
"The existence of such complex molecules in a comet, a relic of the early Solar System, imply that chemical processes at work during that time could have played a key role in fostering the formation of prebiotic material," the ESA report stated.
The Philae lander also detected gases similar to those found here on Earth such as water vapour, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
Philae lander system engineer Laurence O'Rourke also emphasised the importance of data retrieved from the comet in studying how life began on Earth.
"If you apply energy to such organic compounds ... like a comet hitting a planet ... it could lead to the creation of amino acids which make up proteins, which are the basis of life itself," O'Rourke explained.
Aside from these, the Philae lander also sent data on the daily rise and fall of temperature on the comet, and an assessment of the surface properties and internal structure of the space rock.
