Buckyballs, or Buckminsterfullerenes (C60), are cage-like molecules made of hexagonal and pentagonal rings of carbon atoms. They are found in astrophysical environments and should have been part of the stuff our solar system was born from, but so far this molecule has defied unambiguous detection in primitive meteorites such as Murchison and Allende. Now, an international group of researchers report in the June 1 issue of the Astrophysical Journal that Buckminsterfullerene and other fullerenes are present in an unusual meteorite called "Alamahata Sitta."
Join us as we chat with co-author and SETI Institute Senior Research Scientist Peter Jenniskens about this unusual discovery.
Full press release: https://www.seti.org/buckyballs-found-almahata-sitta-meteorites
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