Ancient asteroid fragments recently plucked from near-Earth orbit may turn out to be a crucial snapshot from the earliest stage of our solar system, CNN reports.
The rocks and dust were brought back from an asteroid called Bennu, The New York Times reported. They contain water and a high percentage of carbon, said NASA administrator Bill Nelson at a news conference suggesting that the new findings add credence to the theory that asteroids may have brought the building blocks that have led to life on Earth, NASA said.
The sample contains about 5% carbon by weight, one of the highest concentrations to be studied in any asteroid, said Dr. Jason Dworkin, who is in charge of the Osiris-Rex at Greenbelt, Maryland. The mission wound up in September 2023, according to the New York Time
“Carbon is the chemical backbone of life on Earth,” The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA.com) reported on its website. It’s the most important element that makes Earth what it is.
Carbon compounds regulate the Earth’s temperature, make up the foot that we eat, and provide energy that drives the global economy, NOAA added. “Most of Earth’s carbon is stored in rocks and sediments and the rest is in the ocean, atmosphere, and in living organisms, NOAA concluded.
The directors of the study were hoping for 60 grams of carbon in the samples, but won the lottery with the samples that were brought back to Earth, far exceeding their expectations, Nelson said.
“The water and carbon molecules are exactly the type of material they wanted to find,” Nelson said. They are crucial elements in the formation of our own planet. And they’re going to help us determine the origin of elements that could have led to life.”
The results of the seven-year mission were announced Wednesday.
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