Ever since samples of asteroid Ryugu were delivered by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Hayabusa2 spacecraft in 2020, excitement among astronomers has been at an all-time high. And that’s mainly because it’s believed that this ancient piece of celestial debris may finally answer questions about the origins of life, the formation of the solar system, and more. But now, after two years of research on the samples, preliminary research is coming out and the revelations are even more shocking. It turns out that Ryugu may be older than the Solar System itself.
gave the study published in the journal Science and concluded, “The organic matter in Ryugu likely consists of early material that formed during (or before) the early stages of the formation of the Solar System, later forming Ryugu’s core. The body was changed by the heterogeneous water change on the asteroid.”
Asteroid Ryugu may predate the Solar System.
Although the study did not provide conclusive evidence, the asteroid being older than the solar system would be a major discovery. Until now, it was believed that all celestial bodies in the solar system, along with the asteroid belt, formed at the same time. And any outside bodies that were caught by us. the sun Exists only in the outer solar system. However, Ryugu will break this theory.
Additionally, the study also found organic molecules in asteroids, which are essential for the origin of life. This evidence points to the fact that the building blocks of life can persist in the harsh conditions of space. Therefore, it is possible that life Earth It came from outside the solar system when it was interstellar Asteroid bombarded our planet with organic matter.
Asteroid Ryugu offers the astronomy community an opportunity to study how different molecules were 4.5 billion years ago and how they have changed over that time frame. JAXA also sampled 10 percent of the asteroid. NASA to study. Data from these studies are expected to be published by the end of the year.
tech.hindustantimes.com