Panspermia
Definition
Panspermia is the hypothesis that life exists throughout the Universe, distributed by space dust, meteoroids, asteroids, comets, planetoids and also by spacecraft carrying unintended contamination by microorganisms.
Analogy
Think of panspermia like cosmic hitchhiking. Microorganisms or their precursors might catch a ride on a comet or asteroid and travel through space until they land on another suitable planet where they can start new life.
Related terms
Extraterrestrial Life: Life that originates outside of Earth.
Astrobiology: The study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe.
Meteorites: A solid piece of debris from an object such as a comet, asteroid or meteoroid that originates in outer space and survives its passage through Earth's atmosphere to reach the surface.
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