Ingredients for life found in meteorites that crashed to Earth

By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Updated 5:53 PM ET, Thu January 11, 2018

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Research suggests Venus may have had water oceans billions of years ago. A land-ocean pattern was used in a climate model to show how storm clouds could have shielded ancient Venus from strong sunlight and made the planet habitable.
Photos: Water in the solar system
Research suggests Venus may have had water oceans billions of years ago. A land-ocean pattern was used in a climate model to show how storm clouds could have shielded ancient Venus from strong sunlight and made the planet habitable.
Hide Caption
1 of 19
Jupiter's moon Europa, which has a subsurface ocean beneath an icy crust, has also been found to contain table salt. Tara Regio is the yellowish area to left of center where researchers identified an abundance of sodium chloride.
Photos: Water in the solar system
Jupiter's moon Europa, which has a subsurface ocean beneath an icy crust, has also been found to contain table salt. Tara Regio is the yellowish area to left of center where researchers identified an abundance of sodium chloride.
Hide Caption
2 of 19
Europa has also been found to have plumes that eject water vapor and icy material.
Photos: Water in the solar system
Europa has also been found to have plumes that eject water vapor and icy material.
Hide Caption
3 of 19
An artistic impression of the Mars Express spacecraft probing the southern hemisphere of Mars. Radar detected a lake of liquid water beneath the surface.
Photos: Water in the solar system
An artistic impression of the Mars Express spacecraft probing the southern hemisphere of Mars. Radar detected a lake of liquid water beneath the surface.
Hide Caption
4 of 19
Two meteorites, called Monahans and Zag, are the first discovered to contain the ingredients for life: liquid water, amino acids, hydrocarbons and other organic matter. The organic matter was found in purple and blue salt and potassium crystals that were part of the meteorites.
Photos: Water in the solar system
Two meteorites, called Monahans and Zag, are the first discovered to contain the ingredients for life: liquid water, amino acids, hydrocarbons and other organic matter. The organic matter was found in purple and blue salt and potassium crystals that were part of the meteorites.
Hide Caption
5 of 19
NASA's Cassini mission has evidence of an ocean inside Saturn's largest moon, <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/02jul_saltyocean/" target="_blank">Titan</a>, which might be as salty as the Earth's Dead Sea.
Photos: Water in the solar system
NASA's Cassini mission has evidence of an ocean inside Saturn's largest moon, Titan, which might be as salty as the Earth's Dead Sea.
Hide Caption
6 of 19
NASA is exploring the ocean worlds in our solar system as part of the search for life outside of Earth.
Photos: Water in the solar system
NASA is exploring the ocean worlds in our solar system as part of the search for life outside of Earth.
Hide Caption
7 of 19
Life as we know it is carbon-based and requires liquid water. About 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with water, making life possible.
Photos: Water in the solar system
Life as we know it is carbon-based and requires liquid water. About 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with water, making life possible.
Hide Caption
8 of 19