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NASA researchers have found carbon and traces of water in a sample of the asteroid Bennu.
A sample of an asteroid recently delivered to Earth contains evidence of carbon and water, the NASA space Agency said. Less than two weeks ago, the OSIRIS-REx robotic spacecraft brought back a sample of rock and dust from the asteroid Bennu, a carbon-rich asteroid discovered in 1999.
A sample taken from the asteroid using the ship's robotic arm was taken to a special area in the Utah Desert. Scientists expect that this sample – the largest ever delivered to Earth (approximately 250 grams) - will help to better understand the process of planet formation and the origin of organic matter and water that led to the emergence of life on Earth.
Initial studies of the sample showed the presence of high carbon content and traces of water. According to scientists, these findings may indicate that the building blocks of life on Earth may be found in this rock. Since Bennu has not changed for 4.5 billion years, the asteroid carries valuable information and may even contain organic molecules similar to those needed for the emergence of microbes.
"The abundance of carbon-containing material and the presence of minerals containing water are just the tip of the cosmic iceberg. These discoveries were made possible by years of collaboration and cutting-edge science. With each revelation from Bennu, we are getting closer to unraveling the mysteries of our cosmic legacy," said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS - REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
A sample of an asteroid recently delivered to Earth contains evidence of carbon and water, the NASA space Agency said. Less than two weeks ago, the OSIRIS-REx robotic spacecraft brought back a sample of rock and dust from the asteroid Bennu, a carbon-rich asteroid discovered in 1999.
A sample taken from the asteroid using the ship's robotic arm was taken to a special area in the Utah Desert. Scientists expect that this sample – the largest ever delivered to Earth (approximately 250 grams) - will help to better understand the process of planet formation and the origin of organic matter and water that led to the emergence of life on Earth.
Initial studies of the sample showed the presence of high carbon content and traces of water. According to scientists, these findings may indicate that the building blocks of life on Earth may be found in this rock. Since Bennu has not changed for 4.5 billion years, the asteroid carries valuable information and may even contain organic molecules similar to those needed for the emergence of microbes.
"The abundance of carbon-containing material and the presence of minerals containing water are just the tip of the cosmic iceberg. These discoveries were made possible by years of collaboration and cutting-edge science. With each revelation from Bennu, we are getting closer to unraveling the mysteries of our cosmic legacy," said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS - REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
