Scientists believe that the discovery of ice and organic molecules on an asteroid lingering in orbit between Mars and Jupiter hints at the origin of Earth’s oceans and life 4 billion years ago.
“What we’ve found suggests that an asteroid like this one may have hit Earth and brought our planet its water,” said UCF Physics Professor HumbertoCampins, the lead author of a study which will be published in the April 29 edition of the journal Nature.
Some theories posit that Earth formed dry, and that it was asteroids that brought Earth it’s water. Salts and water found in some meteorites have added credibility to the theory. (more…)