NASA's Bennu Sample Discovery
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected rock and dust samples from the asteroid Bennu in 2020.
The samples were returned to Earth in 2023 and have shown signs of containing chemical building blocks necessary for life.
Key Findings in the Samples
The samples contained 14 of the 20 amino acids, which form proteins.
They also contained all five nucleobases, essential components of DNA and RNA.
These findings support the theory that asteroids, like Bennu, may have delivered the ingredients needed for life on Earth.
The discovery suggests that such compounds could form in space and are widespread across the solar system, raising possibilities for life beyond Earth.
Unlike meteorites that could have been contaminated by Earth’s environment, the Bennu samples were kept pristine, making the findings more reliable.
The samples also contained minerals formed by evaporating salty water, indicating the presence of a wet environment on Bennu’s parent body where prebiotic chemistry could have occurred.
Although the samples contained key organic compounds, there was no direct evidence of DNA or RNA in the samples.
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