The building blocks of life on a comet – Republic

Philae lander on the comet’s surface detected organic compounds

Source ESA

Philae lander on the comet’s surface detected organic compounds – Krzysztof Urbanski.

Organic – the carbon-containing molecules – are the basis of life on Earth. Their presence on the comet may help to solve the riddle of the way the basic “building blocks” of life appeared on Earth.

Although the European Space Agency has confirmed the discovery of organic compounds by a “nose” – an instrument cometary Sampling and Composition (COSAC) Philae lander on the surface of comet 67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko, but did not provide any details on the topic.

– still trying to interpret the results – revealed Dr. Fred Goessmann, principal investigator of the COSAC instrument. This device is designed at the Institute of the Max Planck is equipped with a gas chromatograph and spectrometer.

Unfortunately, Philae had problems with the landing and not settled properly on the surface. Comet Device Multi-Purpose Sensors for Surface and Sub-Surface Science (MUPUS with a hammer made in the Polish Space Research Centre) was not able to knock on more than a few millimeters. MUPUS team tried to break through the crust of a comet with a hammer, but the hammer working at top speed refused to obey the seven minutes of operation. The ice turned out to be harder than anticipated, designers.

This means that detected by COSAC organic compounds can be derived from a thin layer of dust on the surface of a comet. If this is the case, the theory of panspermia saying that life was brought to Earth along with the organic matter from comets and meteorites, has gained a new, very strong arguments. Of course, provided that the instruments were not contaminated with these compounds even before the start. Panspermia theory in the scientific community has many supporters, including Professor Stephen Hawking.

Krzysztof Urbanski

No part or whole songs contained in the log can not be reproduced or further distributed in any form or by any means (including electronic, mechanical, or another or for all fields of use) including copying, broadly defined digitization, photocopying or copying, including posting on the Internet – without the express written consent of Gremi Business Communication. Any use or the use of songs in whole or in part without permission Gremi Business Communication or authors of the violation of law is forbidden under penalty and may be prosecuted.