How does the presence of organic molecules on asteroid Ryugu suggest the possibility of life in our solar system?
Asteroid Ryugu: Organic Molecules that Could be Building Blocks to Life
Asteroid Ryugu, a minor planet located between Mars and Jupiter, is currently being studied by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) as it visits the cosmic rock. In the latest study, results show that it is rich in organic molecules that could be building blocks of life.
What is Asteroid Ryugu?
Asteroid Ryugu was discovered in April of 2014 and was classified as a C-type asteroid. It is one of the over 800,000 known asteroids in the Solar System and is a 900-meter-long, spinning top-shaped body. Its shape has led to it being nicknamed the “little prince” after its shared resemblance with the titular protagonist of the popular French novella, “The Little Prince”.
Organic Molecules on Asteroid Ryugu
These findings were published in the journal Nature. The asteroid Ryugu, along with others in its class, is now considered the possible source of Earth’s first organic molecules. The discovery was made by the samples recovered from its surface by JAXA’s Hayabusa-2 mission.
The samples suggest that Ryugu is a vast source of complex organic compounds such as proteins and amino acids, essential organic molecules that can support the building blocks of life. These organic molecules could’ve been present when our Solar System first formed 4.5 billion years ago, providing the vital ingredients necessary for life to begin.
Conclusion
Organic molecules are incredibly important components that are essential to the origin and evolution of life as we know it. JAXA’s Hayabusa-2 mission has provided us with invaluable insight into the nature of our Solar System, revealing that the asteroid Ryugu is rich in some of the most important organic molecules.
The discovery of these molecules on Ryugu could be integral to our understanding of life’s origins. Future missions will surely be needed to further study the asteroid and the extent of its organic molecules.
It appears that a recent mission to the asteroid Ryugu has revealed that the rocky body likely contains organic molecules that could have been used as building blocks for life.
The Hayabusa2 spacecraft was launched in 2014 by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Recently, it has been making its return to Earth after an almost five-year journey to Ryugu, which it reached in 2018. During its mission, the spacecraft spent one and a half years exploring the asteroid, collecting samples and taking measurements of the asteroid’s composition.
Analysis of the recently-arrived samples has revealed the presence of organic molecules on Ryugu, which scientists believe were likely created some 4.6 billion years ago when the solar system was still forming. These molecules, including carbons and nitrogens, are considered to be the precursors of life as we know it.
The team also discovered evidence of water molecules on Ryugu, which indicates conditions on the asteroid were potentially suitable for the formation of primitive life forms billions of years ago. Although the samples do not contain evidence of direct evidence of life, the molecules are the key components required for the creation of life.
A recent study published by the JAXA team stated that in the early history of Earth, asteroids similar to Ryugu likely delivered these molecules to the young planet, providing the necessary building blocks for the creation of life.
The discovery is being hailed as a major step forward in understanding the conditions necessary for the origin of life. Moreover, the samples collected at Ryugu now provide us with a better understanding of the composition of some of the solar system’s older asteroids, allowing scientists to better predict where else in the solar system similar primitive molecules could be found.
The Hayabusa2 mission is providing us with an invaluable perspective on how life on Earth began and how evolution has shaped our environment today. We can only hope that further exploration of asteroids like Ryugu will continue to shed light on the origins of creation and evolution of planetary systems.
