Inner Solar System Shaped Earth’s Life Essentials, Study Finds
A NASA‑backed study using lab experiments and geochemical models argues Earth’s supply of life‑supporting phosphorus and nitrogen came mainly from inner solar system planetesimals (iron meteorites and related material), not outer‑solar‑system chondrites. Jupiter’s growth likely restricted the movement of these elements, helping inner bodies retain a higher phosphorus-to-nitrogen ratio and seed Earth with the needed ingredients for habitability. The findings suggest Earth acquired its P and N from the inner solar system, though it remains open whether a Jupiter‑like planet is essential for such elemental budgets.