A groundbreaking discovery on asteroid Bennu has revealed the presence of life’s ingredients, shedding new light on the origins of our solar system. The findings suggest that the conditions necessary for life to emerge were widespread across the early solar system.
The discovery of life’s ingredients in samples from asteroid Bennu has provided significant insights into the origins of our solar system. The findings, published in two papers in Nature and Nature Astronomy, suggest that the conditions necessary for the emergence of life were widespread across the early solar system.
Asteroid Bennu is a near-Earth object (NEO) and potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA).
It was discovered in 1999 and has been extensively studied since then.
Bennu is about 1,640 feet (500 meters) in diameter and orbits the Sun every 1.2 years.
Its surface composition is primarily carbonaceous chondrite material, which is rich in organic molecules.
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission visited Bennu from 2018 to 2020, collecting samples that will help scientists understand the asteroid's origins and evolution.
Analyses of dark rocks and dust collected from the asteroid Bennu show that the sample contains the biochemical building blocks of life, including nucleic acids and amino acids. The presence of these compounds is a crucial step in understanding how life may have formed on Earth and potentially elsewhere in the universe.
The research also reveals evidence of an ancient environment well-suited to kickstart the chemistry of life. Scientists identified traces of 11 minerals in the Bennu sample that form as water containing dissolved salts evaporates over long periods of time, leaving behind the salts as solid crystals. This process is similar to what has been detected or suggested across the solar system, including at the dwarf planet Ceres and Saturn’s moon Enceladus.
One of the most intriguing findings is that many amino acids can be created in two mirror-image versions, like a pair of left and right hands. Life on Earth almost exclusively produces the left-handed variety, but the Bennu samples contain an equal mixture of both. This means that on early Earth, amino acids may have started out in an equal mixture, as well.
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft retrieved samples from asteroid Bennu in October 2020.
The samples are stored in a special container and will be returned to Earth for analysis of 'the asteroid's composition, formation, and potential risks to Earth'.
Bennu is a near-Earth asteroid, about 1,640 feet (500 meters) in diameter, composed of carbonaceous material.
The samples will help scientists understand 'the asteroid's composition, formation, and potential risks to Earth'.
Analysis of the samples will also provide insights into the origins of water on our planet.
The discovery of life’s ingredients in asteroid Bennu samples has significant implications for our understanding of life’s origins. The findings suggest that objects that formed far from the Sun could have been an important source of raw precursor ingredients for life throughout the solar system. This increases the odds that life could have formed on other planets and moons.
The OSIRIS-REx mission has provided a wealth of information about the asteroid Bennu and its samples. The discovery of life’s ingredients in these samples is a major breakthrough in our understanding of the origins of life in our solar system. Further research is needed to fully understand the implications of this finding, but it is clear that the OSIRIS-REx mission has already made significant contributions to our knowledge of the universe.
Launched in 2016, the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) mission aims to explore the asteroid Bennu.
Equipped with a suite of scientific instruments, the spacecraft will study the asteroid's composition, shape, and size.
In 2020, OSIRIS-REx will attempt to collect samples from Bennu's surface using its Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM).
The mission aims to provide insights into the early solar system's formation and evolution.
The study of asteroids and comets provides a glimpse into the pristine conditions present in the early solar system. By analyzing samples from these objects, scientists can gain insights into the origins of life on Earth and potentially elsewhere in the universe. The discovery of life’s ingredients in asteroid Bennu samples is a significant step forward in this research.
The OSIRIS-REx mission has been a highly successful one, with data from the mission adding major brushstrokes to our understanding of a solar system teeming with potential for life. However, many questions remain unanswered, including why we see life on Earth and not elsewhere. The discovery of life’s ingredients in asteroid Bennu samples is an important step towards answering these questions.
The study of asteroids like Bennu provides a unique opportunity to understand the history of our solar system. By analyzing samples from these objects, scientists can gain insights into the origins of life on Earth and potentially elsewhere in the universe. The discovery of life’s ingredients in asteroid Bennu samples is a significant step forward in this research.
The OSIRIS-REx mission has been a collaborative effort involving NASA, international partnerships, and scientific institutions around the world. The success of the mission is a testament to the power of collaboration and the importance of space exploration for advancing our understanding of the universe.
