Detailed information about space is revealed thanks to the analysis of two meteorites – Petro

Scientists have long been interested in studying meteorites. These space rocks reveal information about the origin of our solar system. Moreover, they contain vital information about the origin of the universe and the building blocks of life. The organic components of meteorites from Murchison And Aguas Zarcas have been the subject of much research in recent years. Each meteorite contained tens of thousands of molecular “puzzle pieces”, experts said. Ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry was used to make the discovery. This discovery revealed surprisingly high oxygen concentrations.

This groundbreaking study provides insight into how these rocks formed. Moreover, it opens a window on the complex mixtures of natural molecules in space. Researchers can learn more about the formation processes of meteorites. Plus, they can learn about their space travels and the types of molecules that existed in the early universe. All this will be achieved by analyzing the chemical composition of meteorites.

This study is essential because carbonaceous chondrites, the type of meteorite with the highest organic content, are rare. These two examples are the 1969 Murchison meteorite which landed in Australia and the 2019 Aguas Zarcas meteorite which landed in Costa Rica.

Scientists can learn more about the environment of these meteorites as they travel through space. Scientists will do this by examining the biological components of these meteorites. This will determine where, when and how they formed.

The researchers were able to assess very complex mixtures with high resolution and precision. This is possible thanks to ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry, in particular Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) MS. This method is advantageous for evaluating mixtures such as oil or organic matter from meteorites. Scientists can determine the molecular components of the original sample with remarkable precision. They will do this by pulverizing a sample into small particles and calculating the mass of each.

Ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry examined the organic matter of the Murchison and Aguas Zarcas meteorites. More than 30,000 peaks for each meteorite were produced as a result of the team’s decision to examine all soluble organic material at once. More than 60% of them could be assigned a special molecular formula.
Unexpectedly, the researchers discovered a higher than expected oxygen content in the molecules. This startling discovery may provide important new insights into the chemical processes involved in the formation of meteorites and the early universe.

Lunar dust samples from the Apollo 12 and 14 missions will be analyzed as part of the team’s ongoing research. These samples are older than the FT-ICR MS and have not yet been analyzed with it. The study aims to shed light on the origin of the lunar surface and learn more about its composition.