The meteor made headlines in April 2012 when it was spotted as a bright fireball over the US west. By tracking its trajectory, scientists were able to figure out where fragments should have landed and quickly collect relatively fresh pieces.

Initial tests on the pieces showed that the meteorite is a carbonaceous chondrite, a class that is usually rich in amino acids and other soluble, carbon-containing compounds. Scientists have theorised that these organics – key ingredients for life – dissolved from meteorites into Earth's seas.