A more organic meteorite

Some may contain more formic acid, a precursor to life, than previously thought

TORONTO — New analyses of a meteorite that fell on Tagish Lake in Canada nearly a decade ago suggest that such extraterrestrial bodies may hold much higher concentrations of formic acid, a chemical precursor to life, than previously recognized.

Many simple organic chemicals, including formic acid, have been detected in clouds of dust and gas in interstellar space (SN: 5/1/04, p.