Researchers Find Mineral Containing Organic Matter In Ryugu Asteroid Samples
A detailed analysis of samples collected from the Ryugu asteroid has found a key mineral containing organic matter. Researchers believe this could provide a clue as to how water and organic matter arrived on Earth.
The analysis was conducted by scientists from the Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology and other institutions.
They identified organic matter in a silicate mineral -- one of the minerals retrieved from the Ryugu asteroid samples. They were collected from the asteroid and brought to Earth by Japan's Hayabusa2 space probe in 2020.
The researchers say the silicate mineral is one type of clay mineral that can contain water and which is not susceptible to heat.
Researcher Ito Motoo said such minerals are abundant on Earth as well. Ito said the minerals may have once served as a vehicle to carry water and organic matter to the globe.
Prior to the latest findings, multiple types of amino acid had been found in the Ryugu asteroid samples. Scientists believe the asteroid was created from a water-rich celestial body.