After studying samples of the asteroid Ryugu, scientists now believe that the origin of life on Earth may have been brought about by an asteroid
The origin of life on Earth is one of the most enigmatic questions that baffles mankind. There have been many theories surrounding it. Theories ranging from volcanic eruptions that gave rise to spontaneous life to biochemical evolutionary processes that took millions of years to form the complex organic structures that underlie life are all powerful challenges. But it seems all of this is wrong. At least that’s what scientists studying samples from the asteroid Ryugu suggest. The samples showed traces of amino acids, which are the building blocks of life. It may be the case that life appeared on Earth due to an asteroid strike billions of years ago.
In December 2014, Japan launched its second asteroid sampling mission Hayabusa2 to meet asteroid Ryugu in 2018. The spacecraft took two samples – one from the asteroid’s surface and one from the side. below the surface by creating a small crater. Hayabusa2 returned to Earth in December 2020, after which scientists were studying samples. Scientists shared their findings on a lengthy chemical analysis at the 2022 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, taking place virtually in Texas this week.
What scientists have found in asteroid Ryugu
The total mass of samples collected by Hayabusa2 was 5.4 grams. After a detailed investigation of the sample’s chemical profile, the scientists believe they may have found a door not only to the origin of life on Earth but also to the solar system itself. “The Ryugu material is the most primitive material in the solar system that we have ever studied,” said Hisayoshi Yurimoto, a professor of geosciences at Japan’s Hokkaido University and leader of Hayabusa 2’s chemical analysis team. know. report by Space.com.
According to Yurimoto, asteroid Ryugu is a chondrite CI asteroid, which is a type of rocky carbon-rich asteroid. Its chemical composition is very similar to that of the sun, highlighting how primordial the asteroid’s content might be. These asteroids are also rich in water and organic matter, and may be the source of life. An asteroid strike may have brought these organics to Earth billions of years ago.
How asteroids are related to the origin of life on Earth
The test results show that the Ryugu asteroid’s pattern is slightly different from the traditional Cl chondrite asteroid. The Ruygu particles contain more carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen than other observable carbon chondrite asteroids. More than ten amino acids were also found in the samples, including glycine and L-alanin. These are the building blocks of proteins that all living things have in their DNA.
“These prebiotic organic molecules could have spread throughout the solar system, potentially as interplanetary dust from Ruygu’s surface by impact or other causes,” said Hiroshi Naraoka of Kyushu University, Japan. , who also studies Ryugu samples, said.
