Scientists studying how life evolved in our Solar system by looking at the chemistry of meteorites that have smashed into the surface of the Moon.
Understanding how life evolved in our Solar system by studying the chemistry of meteorites that have smashed into the Moon's surface will be the focus of research, which begins this week. Scientists from the Imperial College London, along with academics from Birkbeck College and University College London, aim to understand in more detail the organic chemistry inside rock fragments on the Moon, which are like a "lunar library" - an unspoilt source of geological information spanning billions of years. Organic chemistry is the chemistry of carbon and this is important because all known life is based on carbon chemistry. Understanding the chemistry of these rocks in more detail could help to explain how life was kick-started in the early Solar System. In the long-term, the team hope their research could provide evidence to support future unmanned missions to the Moon to investigate meteorites in more detail. The two-year study could also provide further evidence of how meteorites may have transported important life giving organic chemistry between planets. Mark Sephton, from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial, says: "Imagine that the Solar System is a boxing ring and the planets are the boxers.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
