Asteroid Samples Reveal Early Earth's Building Blocks

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft retrieved samples from asteroid Bennu, revealing essential building blocks for life. These include amino acids and nucleobases present in the ancient extraterrestrial rock, which supports the theory that space debris might have seeded Earth with vital ingredients for life’s emergence.

In a groundbreaking discovery, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has delivered rock and dust samples from the asteroid Bennu that may hold the chemical building blocks of life. This evidence bolsters the theory that asteroids like Bennu could have contributed to life's emergence on Earth by providing essential ingredients.

Collected in 2020, the samples contain a diverse mixture of organic compounds including 14 of 20 amino acids vital for proteins. Two studies published emphasized Bennu's minerals formed through brine evaporation, a wet environment that could have catalyzed prebiotic chemistry, mirroring Earth's ancient past.

The pristine condition of the samples, unlike previous meteorites possibly tainted by Earth contamination, has led researchers to trust these findings. The discovery of amino acids and nucleobases suggests these compounds are widespread throughout the solar system, raising possibilities about extraterrestrial life origins.

(With inputs from agencies.)