Astronomy: Water on Earth can come from asteroids

“Type C asteroids, rich in volatiles and organic matter, were probably one of the main sources of water on Earth,” they wrote in one. studywhich has just been published in Nature Astronomy.

came back two years ago

Researchers from Japan and other countries examined the materials made by the Japanese space probe “Hayabusa2” 2 years ago from Ryugu brought him back to earth. In search of the origins of life and the origin of the universe, experts analyzed rare samples of rock and dust collected by the spacecraft during its six-year space mission.

According to the study, the organic matter contained in the 5.4 grams of Ryugu particles is likely to be an important source of volatiles, that is, carbonaceous substances that evaporate in the gaseous state at higher temperatures. Scientists hypothesized that this material may have come from the outer solar system and was brought to Earth by asteroids. The phrase “on board” may have been organic matter and water that made its way to early Earth, they also write in one send From the Japanese space agency JAXA.

special study subject

The space probe “Hayabusa2” was launched in 2014 on its mission to the asteroid Ryugu, about 300 million km away, and returned to orbit two years ago to drop a capsule with the sample.

In the study, the experts once again noted the importance of the task for the research. “The Ryugu particles are undoubtedly among the least polluting solar system materials available for laboratory studies,” they wrote. Ongoing studies of these samples “will certainly advance our understanding of early solar system processes.”