Samples brought to Earth from the asteroid Bennu by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission have
a phosphate crust
at a concentration
detected on ocean worlds
such as the moon Enceladus.
"Asteroid Bennu may be a fragment of an
ancient ocean world
. This is still very speculative. But it is the best clue I have now to explain the origin of that material," Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona told Space.com. , principal investigator of OSIRIS-REx.
The NASA ship falling to Earth bringing samples from Bennu (REUTERS).
One of the first findings from the
200 milligrams of samples
scientists are already studying is that the asteroid material appears "distinct and unlike anything else in our meteorite collection isotopically, which is exciting," Lauretta said.
"There is a whole area of material that we will never have access to if we only depend on meteorites," Lauretta added.
An extraterrestrial ocean world
Most meteorites that endure their fiery fall through Earth's atmosphere and are recovered are asteroid fragments.
But it's not easy to identify the space rock from which they originated.
The OSIRIS-REx samples have a phosphate crust
never before seen in meteorites
, Lauretta said.
These high concentrations of phosphate have been detected
on extraterrestrial ocean worlds,
she said.
NASA scientists about to open the ship that brought the Bennu samples (AP).
For example, Saturn's moon Enceladus contains phosphates,
a key element for life
, and at much higher levels than Earth's oceans.
"Asteroid Bennu may be a fragment of an ancient ocean world. This is still very speculative. But it is the best clue I have now to explain the origin of that material," Lauretta said.
"We have more than 1,000 particles that measure more than half a millimeter, 28 particles that measure more than a centimeter and the largest particle measures 3.5 centimeters," he explained about the material received in September.
"So it's a great collection full of really big stones."
The Bennu samples contain
abundant amounts of water locked
in minerals such as clays and are also rich in carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus.
The OSIRIS-REx samples represent the largest pristine reservoir of such material on Earth.
"We're going to be busy for a long, long time," Lauretta said.
"This is a huge amount of sample for us," she said, and now Bennu specimens are also being studied around the world.
The hatch of the ship that contained the remains of Bennu (EFE).
What has been discovered will be detailed at next month's 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas.
More than 70 summaries of scientific production have been presented at that prestigious meeting, Lauretta said.
"Starting in March all this will be revealed to the world. So the team is working hard," she said.
Europe Press.
See also
See also
The mystery of Saint Patrick's well: is it the gateway to purgatory?
See also
See also
Leonardo Da Vinci's incredible 1504 globe that includes America
See also
See also
Using Google Maps they say they have found a 12 meter wide UFO
GML