NASA research determines that this ancient asteroid was part of a primitive world

Samples from asteroid Bennu have already been analyzed. Could it have come from an ocean world that may no longer exist?

NASA carried out a mission some time ago that aimed to extract material from an asteroid to its subsequent analysis in laboratory. To do this, the OSIRIS-REx probe participated, which took up to a total of seven years to approach the specimen known as Bennu. Last January it was possible formalize the delivery of the collected material And now, after a period of study and analysis of the components found, it has been possible to offer a first theory about these remains.

Asteroid Bennu may have been part of a primitive ocean world

The compounds in the sample found on the asteroid have determined that its origin could be related to the presence of a primitive ocean world. This is so after discovering the presence of magnesium and sodium phosphatetwo elements that are closely linked to this theory. This is the result of the research obtained after the study and tests carried out on a base made up of only 120 grams of raw material.

According to the press release offered by NASA, these two components were not monitored by the probe at first, so the elements have been able to be registered after obtaining samplesIt is true that there was evidence of carbon and water before the physical analysis, but this discovery is what has allowed us to have a theory close to the existence of an oceanic world which, most likely, no longer exists.

It is important to note that these types of asteroids, such as Bennu itself, can provide valuable information about the early evolution of the solar system. The data collected will be used for various additional investigations, but the truth is that it is still very difficult to be able to analyze these rock masses taking into account samples of just a few grams. After all, these are acquisitions that require budgets of several million dollars.

We will have to wait a while to see if, over the next few years, data can be obtained from other asteroids of this class in order to advance research into the origin of the Universe. The OSIRIS-REx probe already aims dock with other asteroids to repeat this process in order to subsequently analyze its various compositions.

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