The origin of life is in space? Perhaps. An asteroid sample full of organic molecules for life has been brought back to Earth: the study of scientists could help us solve one of the most ancient and fascinating mysteries of the cosmos.
A diagram of the organic molecules found on Ryugu. Credit: JAXA/Tokyo University/Kochi University/Rikkyo University/Nagoya University/Chiba Institute of Technology/Meiji University/Aizu University/AIST/NASA/Dan Gallagher
Ryugu is an asteroid near Earth: it is just under a kilometer wide and orbits the Sun every 16 months. It has been over two years since samples taken during an ad hoc mission to the asteroid were returned to Earth. Since then, scientists worldwide have collaborated to study its chemical composition in order to better understand how the organic life of the universe has developed.
The results of the study confirmed the connections between the carbon compounds found on meteorites that crashed on Earth and the chemistry of the asteroids from which they came. A total of 20,000 organic molecules were identified in only 5 grams of rock. In particular, they discovered organic compounds like carboxylic acids, amines and aromatic hydrocarbons. All the compounds that are associated with a wide variety of molecules that we find on our planet.
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