Ingredients of Life Circling Distant Star

Where did life come from? This is an artist's impression of the makings of a solar system, before the planets have condensed.

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope surveyed 100 young stars in the constellation Ophiuchus. Out of the 100, one star contained hydrogen cyanide and acetylene in its orbiting cloud of matter. These molecules combined with water can make a few different amino acids plus the nucleic acid adenine. Of course these molecules are plentiful on other planets of our own solar system, but is it not interesting that only one out of one hundred young earth-like stars had enough of these elements to be detected from this far away? Put this star at the top of the list, for checking in on in a few million years.

The origins of life are mysterious. The most likely scenario is that life originated on this planet, from unknown precursors, by unknown mechanisms. Also possible is that life originated elsewhere, and was transplanted to earth via space debris or comet/asteroid collision. Spores and other environment resistant microbes can survive the extreme cold and vacuum of space, our own space program has demonstrated that.

Life is one way for matter to organise itself. As long as a reliable energy source is available, with the right raw materials and water, life may eventually develop. Intelligent life is an entirely different matter, and much less likely to evolve and survive.