Sydney Scientists Recreate Cosmic Dust to Probe Life’s Origins

Researchers say cosmic dust may explain how organic molecules first reached Earth.
Thousands of tonnes of space dust hit Earth each year, mostly burning in the atmosphere.
Some fragments survive as meteorites, carrying clues about the early universe.
At the University of Sydney, Linda Losurdo recreated cosmic dust in a laboratory.
She used vacuum chambers, star-like gases, and high-voltage plasma to form dust analogues.
The particles mimic material ejected by dying stars.
Cosmic dust contains CHON molecules, key chemical building blocks of life.
Scientists debate whether these molecules formed on Earth or arrived from space.
The lab-made dust matches infrared fingerprints seen in real meteorites.
Astrophysicists say the work could help model how life began on Earth and other planets.