Aliens get a nitrogen fix

Saturn's moon Titan has an atmosphere rich in nitrogen, so scientists hope that it might act as a model system for terrestrial chemistry just before life began on Earth. Now, new findings from University of Arizona have recreated atmospheric conditions on Titan and demonstrated how atmospheric nitrogen might be naturally incorporated into organic macromolecules in the air.

'Titan is so interesting because its nitrogen-dominated atmosphere and organic chemistry might give us a clue to the origin of life on our Earth,' explains team member Hiroshi Imanaka. Nitrogen is an essential element of life but Titan's smoggy, orange hue also suggests its atmosphere is rich in organic molecules. Imanaka suggests that particles in this Titanic smog might settle on the surface and be exposed to conditions that could lead to life, in an analogous manner to early Earth.