Bennu Asteroid Samples Hint at Space Origin of Life
Why in the news
New studies on material fetched from the asteroid Bennu suggest that several basic chemical ingredients of life on Earth could have formed in space. This strengthens the idea that outer space contributed to the start of life.
Key facts
- The samples hold sugars such as ribose (the sugar of RNA) and glucose.
- They also contain amino acids.
- All five nucleobases present in DNA and RNA were detected.
- Together, this shows the complete set of molecular building blocks for life exists on one single asteroid.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Asteroid | Bennu |
| Spacecraft | OSIRIS-REx (NASA) |
| Sample collection | 2020 |
| Return of capsule to Earth | September 2023 |
| Analysis by | Scientists in the U.S. and Japan |
About the mission
- NASA’s spacecraft gathered the material from the asteroid in 2020.
- After the capsule reached Earth in September 2023, research teams in two countries began examining it.
Exam angle
- Asteroid visited: Bennu; mission: OSIRIS-REx of NASA.
- Key molecules: ribose, glucose, amino acids, five nucleobases.
- Related terms: nucleobases, RNA sugar, extraterrestrial origin of life.