Samples from Japan’s Ryugu meteorite reveal new clues to support claims that life on our planet may have come from outer space.
There are many different hypotheses about the origin of life on Earth. According to one of these hypotheses, the source of life on our planet is space. Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa-2 of the vehicle Ryugu The samples he collected from the asteroid named after him stand out as a structure that supports this theory.
The vehicle, named Hayabusa-2, is approx. 300 million kilometers To collect samples from the meteorite called Ryugu, which is in the distance, he threw sticks that would shatter the surface of the asteroid, and then collected the pieces that were scattered in the air and that had not come into contact with space before, with the help of an apparatus resembling a vacuum cleaner.
Traces of water were found on asteroid fragments.
researcher from Tohuku University Tomoki Nakamurain a statement on Friday Hayabusa-2He explained that traces of water were found in the 5.4-gram stone and dust samples collected by . The researcher stated that this finding is of great importance. Nakamura,”Many researchers thought the water came from space, but we actually discovered water on Ryugu, the first time on an asteroid near Earth.” used sentences. “This drop of water has great meaning.” Nakamure said that many researchers already think that water comes from space, but for the first time they have discovered water in an asteroid close to Earth. Nakamure noted that the sample in Ryugu was a drop of liquid containing “carbonated water with salt and organic matter.”
In the Hayabusa-2 mission, which started in 2014, the vehicle Ryugu He traveled 300 million kilometers towards the meteorite named after him and then returned. Although the vehicle returned to Earth 2 years ago, the process of examining the collected samples continues.
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Approximately A team of 150 researchersexamines the collected samples. The team is split into groups for faster reconnaissance. Thus, different experts can quickly perform their work in their fields.
Researchers believe that these findings with the origins of the oceans and organic matter He says it may be directly related. Perhaps life on our planet did indeed come from meteorites that struck our planet during its formation.