Scientists find ‘seeds of life’ in samples from asteroid Ryugu

BGR

Samples taken from the asteroid Ryugu contain traces of comet particles, which some researchers say could be the “seeds of life.” The samples were originally collected from Ryugu by Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission, which returned to Earth in 2020. Since then, scientists have been analyzing the samples to learn more about what the asteroid is made of.

And, because asteroids are basically leftovers from the formations of our solar system, these samples can teach us a lot about the conditions of our solar system in its earliest days. One particular area that scientists are interested in is determining how organic molecules were delivered through the early days of the solar system.

The hope is that this can teach us more about where and how life emerged and perhaps even teach us about the origins of life on Earth. A recent study on the samples has showcased evidence of micrometeoroid impacts, which left patches of melted minerals and glass behind.

The micrometeoroids that caused the impacts are believed to have possibly left behind primitive organic matter, which could help us find the “seeds of life,” as the researchers refer to it. And since Ryugu doesn’t have an atmosphere of any kind, there isn’t anything to cause weathering or erosion, so these impacts should act as mini snapshots into the early days of the solar system…