Earth's water may have come from asteroids, claims Japanese probe
Water is one of the crucial factors that enable life on Earth. However, have you ever wondered how a once magma-covered Earth turned into the present 'Blue Planet'? Japanese scientists suggest that an asteroid could be behind this. The new hypothesis is formulated based on analyzing samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Hayabusa2 probe.
Why does this story matter?
Life on Earth wouldn't have been possible if not for water. However, our planet was once as hostile as any celestial body. We have been trying to uncover how Earth changed from a magma-covered planet to what is now. The new finding based on the samples from Ryugu could prove to be a major breakthrough in our understanding of the origin of life.
Volatile and organic-rich C-type asteroids could be behind water
Hayabusa2 was sent to Ryugu to shed new light on the formation of the solar system. In a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy, scientists say that volatile and organic-rich C-type asteroids may have been the main source of Earth's water. They identified Ryugu particles as one of the important sources of volatiles (water and organics).
Materials in Ryugu particles may be from outside solar system
Scientists found close similarities between the composition of Ryugu particles and water on Earth. However, the slight differences made them concede that Earth's water could be also from places other than asteroids. The organic materials in Ryugu particles may have had an "outer solar system origin," said the study. The question of the delivery of volatiles is still a hotly debated topic among scientists.
Hayabusa2 collected samples from an artificial crater created by penetrator
The Hayabusa2 is an asteroid sample-return mission that was launched on December 3, 2014. The fridge-sized spacecraft landed on the asteroid Ryugu in 2018. In 2019, its impactor was deployed to create an artificial crater. A year later, the spacecraft delivered a small capsule with rock and dust samples. Hayabusa2 is now on an extended mission to the asteroid 1998 KY26, a smaller asteroid.
Ryugu has dust older than the solar system
Ryugu is a Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) and is among the potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs). It was discovered in 1999. In June, scientists found that samples from Ryugu contained amino acids, which suggests that building blocks of life may have come from asteroids. Another recently published study found that it contains dust older than the solar system itself.
