NASA has made a groundbreaking discovery with samples of dust and rocks from asteroid Bennu, 322 million kilometers (about 200 million miles) from Earth, found to date back to a time before the Sun, offering
vital clues to the early solar system and the origins of life.
Scientists have identified presolar grains in the sample from Bennu. These particles, known as ‘stardust’, were formed around dying stars billions of years ago, predating the birth of the Sun and remaining almost unchanged.
An international team, including experts from London’s Natural History Museum and the University of Arizona, has determined that these particles offer a purer glimpse into the beginning of our solar system than meteorites found on Earth.
NASA’s Historic Mission
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, launched in 2016, achieved a significant milestone in 2020 when the spacecraft collected about 120 grams of dust and stones from Bennu’s surface using its robotic arm. Remarkably, the mission was completed in mere seconds, and the sample capsule was safely returned to Earth in 2023. The ongoing chemical analysis of these samples has unveiled some of the universe’s oldest secrets.
The Mystery Of Asteroid Bennu
Researchers believe that Bennu’s original asteroid was formed in the outer regions of the solar system, possibly beyond Saturn’s orbit, amidst cold gas and dust. The sample contains a diverse range of materials, including organic matter from the outer solar system, interstellar gas and dust, and high-temperature particles that formed near the Sun before moving outward.
Water And Signs Of Life
Studies at the Natural History Museum have found evidence of chemical reactions involving water in these samples from 4.5 billion years ago, a period when Earth was not fully formed. Previous research suggested that the building blocks of life might be present in the particles from Bennu. This discovery strengthens the theory that the foundations of life on Earth could have originated from space.
Early Glimpse Of The Universe
Professor Sarah Russell, involved in the research, states, “We are seeing a unique glimpse of the outer solar system at the time of the Sun’s birth. Some particles have remained almost untouched for billions of years, revealing the environment in which the planets were formed.”
This NASA mission marks a significant milestone in human history, as these particles have remained as pure today as they were billions of years ago, free from Earth’s atmospheric interference.
