Scientists have discovered a strange mix of molecular nitrogen on the comet the Rosetta spacecraft has been chasing and believe it can provide clues as to how the solar system was formed.

Molecular nitrogen is one of the building blocks of the solar system. Its presence on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko being orbited by the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft suggests the comet was formed in freezing conditions at temperatures low enough to freeze nitrogen into ice.

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ESA officials say nitrogen is present in other planets and moons in the solar system. This means Rosetta's detection of the gas suggests comet 67P's family of comets were formed in the same region.

Officials also confirm that molecular nitrogen found on the comet is the most common type in the solar system. The solar system's outer regions are abundant in nitrogen, the main gas found in the gas giants.

Nitrogen is mostly found in the thick atmosphere of Saturn's moon, Titan, and has also been detected in the atmospheres and icy surfaces of Pluto and Neptune's moon, Triton.

Nitrogen has been detected in other comets before, however. But this is the first time it's been detected on its own and as molecular nitrogen. Nitrogen is often present in comets along with other compounds like ammonia and hydrogen cyanide.

Using its ROSINA instrument (Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis), Rosetta detected the molecular nitrogen from October 17 to 23, 2014 when it was orbiting just 10 kilometers from the comet's center.

Scientists were also surprised when they observed the ratio of molecular nitrogen to carbon monoxide on the comet was 25 times less compared to models of the infant solar system. Carbon monoxide is a pivotal compound that can be used as a gauge since both it and molecular nitrogen are formed under the same temperatures.

Ice found in the comet apparently trapped molecular nitrogen at the extremely freezing temperature of -423 degrees Fahrenheit. This finding could also suggest comet 67P could have originated from the regions of Pluto and Triton.

As comet 67P nears the Sun, the comet's ice is beginning to melt and could explain this low ratio as it releases nitrogen into space. These new findings were published in the journal, Science.

TagsRosetta Finds Nitrogen on Comet; Comet Could Come from Pluto Region, comet 67P, rosetta comet, ESA, rosetta nitrogen comet 67P