The asteroid Bennu, formed billions of years ago from the remnants of a life-hosting world, has provided samples revealing complex chemicals essential for life. These samples, returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission, showcase unprecedented molecular diversity, including amino acids, phosphates, and the fundamental building blocks of RNA and DNA. The findings support theories that such asteroids delivered critical life ingredients to Earth, bolstering ongoing investigations into the potential for life beyond our planet. A related exhibition at the Natural History Museum will further explore these ideas.
The diversity of the molecules and minerals preserved in Bennu's samples are unlike any extraterrestrial samples studied before, revealing critical building blocks for life.
Bennu's parent world contained underground lakes of brine; their evaporation left behind salts akin to dry lake beds on Earth, hinting at life's origins.
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