Last Updated on July 12, 2024 by admin22
Image reproduction: NASA
In March, NASA’s initial analyses of asteroid Bennu revealed that it contains compounds essential for life, including carbon and water. Recently, NASA discovered that Bennu might have been part of a planet with an ocean. The OSIRIS-REx probe brought a sample of the asteroid to Earth in September 2023.
On Wednesday (26), the team responsible for studying the samples published in the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science that Bennu contains the original ingredients that formed our solar system. Jason Dworkin, OSIRIS-REx project scientist and co-author of the research, stated that the mission brought exactly what was expected: “a large sample of nitrogen- and carbon-rich asteroid material from a planet with water.”
The composition of the samples obtained by NASA allowed scientists to investigate the formation of the solar system and understand the components that contributed to the emergence of life on Earth. In addition to confirming the presence of life-essential elements, the analysis revealed magnesium phosphate, indicating that the asteroid might have originated from a small planet with an ocean.
Magnesium phosphate is a water-soluble compound crucial for Earth’s biochemistry.
According to NASA, based on the new study, asteroid Bennu has a history of water interactions, although it is chemically primitive. This suggests that Bennu’s oceanic planet has not existed for billions of years. “The presence of magnesium phosphate on the asteroid indicates it may have originated from a small planet with an ocean, extinct for a long time,” stated NASA.
The study highlights that the surface components of the asteroid have been preserved for billions of years, providing a vast source for future research. “Every week, the OSIRIS-REx mission analysis team presents new and surprising discoveries,” said Arolde Connolly, co-author of the study.
Dante Lauretta, principal investigator of OSIRIS-REx at the University of Arizona and co-author of the study, mentioned that while Bennu might have originated from a planet with an ocean, this hypothesis requires further investigation.
