The Sutter's Mill meteorite exploded in a dazzling fireball over California last year (pictured). Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Pizzarello et al. report that it contained organic molecules not found in any previously analysed meteorites (S. Pizzarello et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1309113110; 2013).

Credit: LISA WARREN

The authors' analysis of extracts of organic matter from the meteorite revealed a complex mixture of oxygen-rich compounds, which probably resulted from oxidative processes that occurred in the parent body. Intriguingly, the authors suggest that such compounds could have been released to prebiotic Earth during or after meteorite bombardments, adding to the roster of organic molecules that might have contributed to the evolution of life.