NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission delivered samples from asteroid Bennu, revealing sodium-rich minerals, amino acids, and even fragments of the genetic code. These findings suggest that asteroids may have played a key role in delivering the building blocks of life to Earth.
Scientists have uncovered tantalizing clues about the origins of life on Earth within the pristine remnants of a near-Earth asteroid named Bennu . The research, published in the journals Nature and Nature Astronomy, reveals that Bennu holds not only the fundamental building blocks for life but also the salty vestiges of an ancient water world.
This discovery suggests that asteroids like Bennu may have played a pivotal role in delivering the essential ingredients for life to our planet, potentially seeding its emergence billions of years ago.The samples, collected by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission and delivered to Earth in 2023, were meticulously analyzed by two separate research teams. Among the findings were sodium-rich minerals, amino acids, nitrogen in the form of ammonia, and even fragments of the genetic code. These organic molecules, remarkably preserved, point towards a primordial environment where water and salts, akin to those found in Earth's arid deserts, interacted, creating a fertile ground for life's genesis.This discovery is particularly significant because the delicate salts found in Bennu, similar to those in Earth's dry lakebeds, would likely be stripped away if present in meteorites that fall to our planet. The ability to directly analyze asteroid samples, carefully preserved after their journey through space, provides invaluable insights into the conditions that prevailed during the early stages of our solar system. Scientists emphasize the need for further analysis of these samples, as well as the exploration of other celestial bodies like Ceres, Europa, and Enceladus, which hold the promise of revealing even more about the origins of life
ASTEROID LIFE ORIGINS NASA OSIRIS-Rex BENNU ORGANIC MOLECULES AMINO ACIDS
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