Asteroid Ryugu has a rich complement of organic molecules, according to a NASA and international team’s initial analysis of a sample from the asteroid’s surface delivered to Earth by Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft. The discovery adds support to the idea that organic material from space contributed to
. The discovery adds support to the idea that organic material from space contributed to the inventory of chemical components necessary for life.
Organic molecules are the building blocks of all known forms of terrestrial life and consist of a wide variety of compounds made of carbon combined with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and other atoms. However, organic molecules can also be made by chemical reactions that don’t involve life, supporting the hypothesis that chemical reactions in asteroids can make some of life’s ingredients.
NASA scientist Heather Graham receives a shipment of asteroid Ryugu samples from her colleagues at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . Asteroid 162173 Ryugu is a carbon-rich pile of rubble, with an orbit that passes between Earth andand a shape that resembles a kilometer-wide spinning top. Scientists think that Ryugu contains pristine organic material from the dawn of the solar system – and that it could hold clues to the formation and evolution of life.
The science of prebiotic chemistry attempts to discover the compounds and reactions that could have given rise to life, and among the prebiotic organics found in the sample were several kinds of. Certain amino acids are widely used by terrestrial life as a component to build proteins. Proteins are essential to life as they are used to make enzymes which speed up or regulate chemical reactions and to make structures from microscopic to large such as hair and muscles.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Asteroid Ryugu is rich in organic molecules that can be building blocks of lifeThe first look at samples returned by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft supports the theory that vital elements for life like amino acids could have been delivered from space.
Read more »
NASA First Look at Japanese Asteroid Samples Reveal the Building Blocks for LifeNASA's analysis of Ryugu asteroid samples revealed chemical compounds that support the theory that space dust contains the building blocks for life.
Read more »
JPL and the Space Age: To the Rescue (NASA Documentary)Hubble in 1990 meant trouble. The highly touted space telescope was designed to escape Earth’s blurry atmosphere to capture unparalleled visual images of the universe. But its creators were shocked to discover that it was cruelly nearsighted from a minuscule flaw. Enter NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labo
Read more »
NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 Mission to the International Space Station (Official Trailer)NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 1:45 a.m. EST on Monday, February 27, 2023, for the launch of the agency’s Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The four Crew-6 crewmates – Commander Stephen Bowen, Pilot Warren “Woody” Hoburg, Mission Specialist UAE (United Arab E
Read more »
SpaceX set to launch next International Space Station crew for NASAElon Musk's rocket company SpaceX was set to launch early on Monday the International Space Station's next long-duration team into orbit, with an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates and a Russian cosmonaut joining two NASA crewmates for the flight.
Read more »
SpaceX, NASA to launch new crew of international astronauts to space station | CNNSpaceX and NASA are preparing to send a fresh crew to the International Space Station, continuing the public-private effort to keep the orbiting laboratory fully staffed and return astronaut launches to US soil. This mission will include crew members from all over the world — two NASA astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates.
Read more »