Near-Earth asteroid samples contain all five nucleobases key to life
By 
Mason Wakley2026-03-17T14:30:00
Meteorites rich in chemicals used to build nucleic acids may have helped kick-start life on early Earth
Samples collected from the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu have been found to contain all five nucleobases, adding to evidence that life’s building blocks exist elsewhere in the solar system. The researchers think that such asteroids may have helped deliver these molecules to Earth, potentially kick-starting life.