The Philae lander has detected organic molecules on the Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by sniffing the icy rock's atmosphere.

The carbon-containing "organics" were picked-up by a German-built instrument designed to detect the comet's thin atmosphere. Other analysis suggests the comet's surface is largely water-ice covered by a thin dust layer.

Like Us on Facebook

Dr. Fred Goessmann, principal investigator of the Cosac instrument that detected the organics, confirmed the discovery to BBC News. But he added the team is still trying to interpret the results.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has yet to specify which organic molecules the lander found or how complex they are.

The findings will likely provide insights into the possibility of comets as contributors to the chemical building blocks of life on Earth. It might also help us to understand how comets tie into the origin of life.

The initial results from the Mupus instrument suggest there's a thick layer of dust 10 cm to 20 cm deep on the surface. Underneath the surface is hard water-ice.

"The fact that we landed up against something may actually be in our favor. If we'd landed on the main surface, the dust layer may have been even thicker and it's possible we might not have gone down [to the ice]," said Prof Mark McCaughrean, senior science adviser to ESA.

Previously, the Rosetta orbiter also detected molecules on the comet. It discovered the comet has methane and methanol in its thin atmosphere.

Tagsphilae lander, ESA, comet 67P, organic molecules, Churyumov-Gerasimenko, space exploration, european space agency