Scientists used a powerful laser under lab conditions to recreate and study the original spark that triggered life on Earth.

Researchers used this laser method to produce a simulation of the energy unleashed by a speeding asteroid fast approaching Earth and then crashing into the planet. The end result yielded the beginning of life.

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These findings, however, don't provide evidence about how life began on the planet some four billion years ago but the experiment strongly supports this theory.

The study findings suggest the sudden emergence of life on the planet isn't a result of an accident but is a direct consequence of a primeval Earth evolving, researchers conclude.

The laser experiment yielded four chemical bases needed to create RNA (ribonucleic acid), which is a simpler form of DNA that holds the code of life.

Life isn't solely reliant on these chemical bases and there are a myriad of possible steps so life can emerge and thrive. Scientists involved in the study still think this is a pivotal starting point in this process.

According to lead author Svatopluk Civis from the Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry in Prague, scientists have the ability to create RNA bases using other methods such as chemical mixes and pressure.

This is the first time an experiment was conducted to test this theory about the amount of energy from a space crash that can trigger this chemical reaction.

Civis said the team used a laser to zap a chemical mixture for a fraction of a second. The power of the beam was extremely intense and concentrated.

When measured, the laser's power in less than one billionth of a second was equivalent to the energy generated by two nuclear power plants. The energy created one billion kilowatts of pure energy, generating heat that reached temperatures of 7,600 degrees Fahrenheit.

Scientists believe that an asteroid hit infant Earth billions of years ago during a period called the Late Heavy Bombardment. At this time, the solar system's asteroid belt was massive and stray space rocks hit Earth more often.

This study was published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

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