On September 24, 2023, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission delivered a capsule to Earth. About 120 grams of ancient carbonaceous regolith from the asteroid Bennu. This exhibition is extraordinary, not only for its rarity, but also for the surprising revelations it has so far presented.
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The first analyzes have revealed a watery past for Bennu, suggesting that the asteroid may have broken away from an ancient oceanic world that has already disappeared from our solar system.
The stuff of life
Scientists study the asteroid’s rocks and dust to unravel its secrets and determine whether it contains the elements necessary for life. Besides, These studies provide important information about the remnants of the formation of the Solar System.
Rocks and dust from the asteroid Bennu were collected and returned to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx mission.
A preliminary analysis shared in October found that Bennu is rich in carbon, nitrogen and organic compounds. These materials not only helped form the solar system, but are essential to life as we know it. magazine Meteorites & Planetary Science A study has been published Describes these findings, confirming the existence of magnesium and sodium phosphate, water-soluble compounds and the biochemical basis of life.
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These compounds, along with other elements and minerals present in Bennu, suggest the asteroid had a watery past, indicating that it may have broken away from an ancient oceanic world that no longer exists. Serpentine clay minerals found in the Bennu sample, They resemble the rocks found on Earth’s mid-ocean ridges, material from the Earth’s mantle interacts with water. This connection strengthens the hypothesis of an aqueous origin for the Bennu, although further research is needed to confirm it.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Hayabusa2 mission found phosphate on the asteroid Ryuku, but the composition on Bennu is purer and has larger grains.
The rocks collected at Bennu represent a time capsule of the earliest days of the solar system, dating back 4.5 billion years. In fact, it is the largest reserve of unaltered asteroid material now on Earth.
A series of images taken by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in which the asteroid Bennu is fully orbited and about 80 kilometers away. Frames were acquired by the Polycam long-range camera within 4 hours and 18 minutes.
The role of asteroids and comets in life
Astronomers believe that asteroids and comets may have played an important role in supplying Earth with water and the building blocks of life. Nick TimmsThe study’s co-author and associate professor in the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Curtin University suggests that these rocky bodies may have collided with Earth as they formed, preparing the groundwork for the beginning of life.
These findings underscore the importance of collecting and studying material from asteroids like Bennu, especially the low-density material that typically burns up as it enters Earth’s atmosphere. This material may be key to unraveling the formation processes of the Solar System and the prebiotic chemistry that contributed to the origin of life on Earth.
