Famous Martian Meteorite Contains 4-Billion-Year-Old Organic Compounds (newsweek)
Scientists have identified 4-billion-year-old nitrogen-containing organic molecules in a Martian meteorite, a discovery that may shed light on whether or not the Red Planet once hosted life. According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers found the organic molecules, those that contain carbon atoms, in a famous Martian meteorite dubbed Allan Hills 84001, which was uncovered in Antarctica in 1984. This object once formed part of the Red Planet's surface, but it was blasted into space by a meteor impact around 15 million years ago before eventually falling to Earth.