A team of astronomers has identified the basic compounds for life existing in a distant star system.
According to Space.com, it is the first discovery to indicate the Earth was not the first planet to have formed within a star system that contained these compounds. Authors of a study published in the journal Nature believe the star, dubbed "MWC 480," proves other Earth-like planets may exist in the universe.
"The very rich organic chemistry present in the young solar system, as evidenced by cometary compositions, is far from unique," study lead author Karin Öberg, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts, told Space.com. "It thus seems likely that the prebiotic chemistry that took place in the solar system, including Earth, is also happening elsewhere."
The researchers spotted MWC 480 with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope and measured its distance from Earth at 455 light years.
"Studies of comets and asteroids show that the solar nebula that spawned our Sun and planets was rich in water and complex organic compounds," Öberg said in a press release. "We now have evidence that this same chemistry exists elsewhere in the universe, in regions that could form solar systems not unlike our own."
MWC 480 is believed to be twice the mass of the sun, but its solar system appears to be in its infancy. By looking through the ALMA telescope, the astronomers did not see any signs of planet formation. They also noted these compounds could be wiped away with radiation blasts and through other events.
"From the study of exoplanets, we know our solar system isn't unique in having rocky planets and an abundance of water," Öberg said. "Now we know we're not unique in organic chemistry. Once more, we have learned that we're not special. From a life in the universe point of view, this is great news."
