--- title: "Scientists Surprised by Objects of “Complex Organic Matter” in Asteroid Belt" description: "Astronomers have spotted two space rocks in the asteroid belt that are teeming with organic matter, possibly the building blocks of life on Earth." date: "2021-07-29" modified: "2021-07-29" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/objects-complex-organic-matter-asteroid-belt" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "asteroid belt" - "asteroids" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Surprised by Objects of “Complex Organic Matter” in Asteroid Belt ![Astronomers have spotted two space rocks in the asteroid belt that are teeming with organic matter, possibly the building blocks of life on Earth.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Red Rocks A team of astronomers have spotted two mysterious objects in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that appear to be loaded with organic matter, possibly including the building blocks of life on Earth, [*The New York Times* reports](). The two rocks, dubbed 203 Pompeja and 269 Justitia, showed up as glowing red in astronomical observations, far redder than any other known object in the asteroid belt. Objects devoid of organic material reflect far more blue light, but ones that hold more organic materials show up as red in observations. The two asteroids, 70 and 35 miles across, could offer us clues about the chaotic early days of our solar system, billions of years ago — not to mention a sign that our cosmic neighborhood is still full of astonishing discoveries. ## Orbital Dance The fact that the two asteroids showed up so red came as a surprise to the international team of researchers. "In order to have these organics, you need to initially have a lot of ice at the surface," MIT's Michaël Marsset, a co-author of [a paper]() about the research published in the *The Astrophysical Journal Letters* this week, told the *NYT*. "So they must have formed in a very cold environment. Then the solar irradiation of the ice creates those complex organics." If confirmed, the two objects could provide proof of the planetary migration occurring during the early stages of our solar system. One prevalent theory suggests that Saturn, Uranus and Neptune moved outwards as Jupiter moved inwards over hundreds of millions of years. This movement would send remaining bits of planets careening all over the solar system. "It’s an exciting discovery with implications for the origins of life," Karin Öberg from Harvard University, who was not involved in the new study, told the newspaper. But before we can figure out once and for all where 203 Pompeja and 269 Justitia came from, we'll have to have a look for ourselves. **READ MORE:** [2 Red Objects Were Found in the Asteroid Belt. They Shouldn’t Be There.]() \[*The New York Times*\] **More on the asteroid belt:** *[Is the Asteroid Belt What’s Left of an Obliterated Planet?]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()