A meteorite from Mars that landed on Earth in 2011 contains diamonds and a carbon compound that is biological in origin. (vid)

Martian meteorite may contain evidence of extraterrestrial life

Tissint landed in the desert of Guelmim-Es Semara, Morocco, on July 18, 2011. It was thrown from the surface of Mars by an asteroid collision some 700,000 years ago -- and there is no other meteorite quite like it. The 7-11 kilogram grey rock -- seared glassy black on the outside by the heat of entry, called a fusion crust -- showed evidence of water. It was riddled with tiny fissures, into which water had deposited material.

This material, on analysis, turned out to be an organic carbon compound -- one that was biological in origin. It is not the only meteorite in which organic carbon has been found, but the debate has always centered on whether the carbon was deposited before or after the meteorite in question landed on Earth -- to wit, whether it is terrestrial or extraterrestrial in origin.

A team of researchers studied the organic carbon found in the fissures of Tissint and determined that it is not of this world.


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Last Edited by 411 on 12/02/2014 10:47 PM