Did comets bring building blocks of life to Earth? Scientists aren't so sure anymore
For over a century astronomers have speculated that comets could have delivered organic molecules necessary for life to Earth, but new modeling shows these molecules wouldn't have survived impact.
Scientists are no longer convinced that comets brought the essential building blocks of life to Earth. Complex organic molecules, which form the basis of biochemical compounds like nucleobases, amino acids, and sugars, are vital for life as we know it. However, recent research led by Richard Anslow, a planetary scientist at the University of Cambridge, appears to disprove the idea that comets delivered these crucial molecules to our planet.
Historically, scientists believed that comets provided a "get-out-of-jail-free card" for early Earth, carrying carbon and nitrogen-bearing molecules that kick-started life. However, Anslow's new research suggests that comets are highly unlikely to have been responsible for providing these complex organic molecules. This perspective is based on computer modeling that simulates the origin and evolution of comets, their interactions with Earth's atmosphere, and the impacts of these comets on Earth itself.
The main reason behind this conclusion is that comets typically enter Earth's atmosphere at too high a velocity and at a sharp angle, which means they tend to vaporize upon impact before the complex organic molecules can survive. Even when these molecules do manage to endure the impact, they are rarely present in sufficient quantities to contribute significantly to prebiotic chemistry.
In other words, it would have to be an extremely rare one-in-a-million occurrence for comets to be the source of these molecules, with all the right conditions aligned perfectly.
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