Sydney Scientists Recreate Cosmic Dust to Probe Life’s Origins

Scientists recreate cosmic dust to study how life’s building blocks reached Earth.
Thousands of tonnes of space dust hit Earth each year, mostly burning up.
Some fragments survive as meteorites, carrying organic molecules linked to life.
At the University of Sydney, Linda Losurdo produced cosmic dust in a laboratory.
She simulated dying stars using gas mixtures, vacuum conditions, and high-voltage plasma.
The dust contains CHON molecules, key ingredients for life.
Researchers hope this work explains how meteorites gained organic matter.
The study appeared in Astrophysical Journal.