Opal-Studded Meteorite Hints at Origins of Earth's Water

A gem of a meteorite found in Antarctica is studded with pieces of opal, a crystal that is associated with water. The discovery lends greater strength to the idea that meteorites brought water to asteroids and may also have seeded the Earth with the liquid necessary for life to evolve. "This is more evidence that meteorites and asteroids can carry large amounts of water ice," lead author Hilary Downes said in a statement.