Hillsborough meteorite uncovers hundreds of amino acids, most not from Earth
A Hillsborough, New Jersey meteorite—a primitive CM carbonaceous chondrite that fell in 2024—contains hundreds of amino acids, the majority not known to occur naturally on Earth, preserved in salty brines within the asteroid’s minerals. The finding highlights complex abiotic organic chemistry in a water-altered asteroid and underscores the value of rapid recovery to study pristine extraterrestrial material.