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Re: (meteorobs) Life on Comets

In a message dated 97-03-04 15:55:30 EST, you write:

<< 
 Actually, the idea of some primative life forms on comets isn't so far
 fetched as in may seem. The Murchison meteorite, which is believed to
 be from a comet has 92 amino-acids on it. Of course amino-acids aren't
 life, but there is also a rumor that (either CO3 or CM2) carbonaceous
 chondrites were found to have micro-fossils in them similar to the Martian
 meteorite samples. I don't know if PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)
 were also found. As I mentioned, it is a rumor that I heard at the Winter
 Star Party in February. Perhaps life could adapt the long periods of lack
 of Sunlight, but near the Sun water (created by the outgasing atmosphere)
 and warmer temperatures become available. Remember, the truth can be more
 strange than fiction. Just a thought.
  >>
----------------
I lost track George...but isn't there only about 20 different amino acids
known?

I've also came across something mentioning that in the 1970's, spectra from
the major classes of meteorites were matched up with various asteroids within
the asteroid belt. This was done with the assumption that the asteroid belt
was the source of meteorites found on earth. It was interesting to note that
1 Ceres was found to display a spectra of that for carbonaceous chondrites.
Asteroid 433 Eros was found to have spectra of ordinary Chondrites as another
example. They also noted a correlation of basic asteroid classes had specific
areas to be found within the asteroid belt itself. One of the odd things
found was that about 75% of the asteroids that were studied had spectra of
Carbonaceous chondrites  and only about 16% of the asteroids stuided had
spectra of Ordinary Chondrites. Just the exact opposite one would expect
based upon the meteorite classification found on earth.  Seems to me that
something has happened that made lots of chondrites to more than likely fall
on earth than Carbonaceous chondrites. Maybe some kind of collision  placed a
lot of debris within the vicinity of the earth?
George Zay