Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Scientists at the Natural History Museum (NHM), UK are currently examining samples from asteroid Bennu, a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid, aiming to unravel the mysteries surrounding the origins of life on Earth.
Experts believe that the black dust-like material sample, equivalent to a teaspoon, could provide crucial insights into the formation of not just Earth, but the entire solar system.
According to a report by Sky News, Professor Sara Russell, senior research lead at NHM, expressed her excitement about receiving the samples from Bennu. Russell has been conducting experiments using gloves while standing in front of a sealed box to maintain and preserve its natural state. The sample is contained in a nitrogen glovebox, preventing contamination from exposure to air.
The sample is suspected to contain minerals like clays that trap water, offering insights into how Earth became a habitable planet. Additionally, it may contain organic carbon, potentially contributing to the nutrients needed for life to flourish on Earth.
The analysis of Bennu's minerals aims to test the theory that asteroids, like Bennu, delivered water to Earth 4.5 billion years ago. Bennu is a carbon-rich asteroid, containing about 5% organic mass. The NHM is one of four UK institutes involved in studying samples from the asteroid.
In 2020, the OSIRIS-REx mission successfully gathered rock and dust from the surface of Bennu. The cargo, encapsulated in a secure capsule, safely returned to Earth on September 24, 2023 and underwent a thorough analysis by space scientists.
Distinguishing itself from prior missions, OSIRIS-REx provided an extensive amount of material, estimated at 250 grams (half a pound). This quantity far surpassed Japan's Hayabusa2 mission, which brought back mere 5.4 grams of asteroid material.
Over the next two years, researchers will examine asteroid rocks and soil within a specialised clean room situated at the Johnson Space Center. Furthermore, the sample will undergo division and distribution to laboratories worldwide, including those affiliated with the Canadian Space Agency and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, who were partners in the OSIRIS-REx mission. Approximately 70% of the sample will be preserved in pristine condition for research by the future generations.
While quantifying the exact likelihood of this occurrence is complex, recent data gathered by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has enabled scientists to refine their models of Bennu's orbital evolution, resulting in a calculated 1 in 2,700 (0.037%) chance of Bennu impacting Earth on September 24, 2182. However due to the formation composition and speed of the Asteroid, the collision, if happens, will equivalent to the power and energy released by the explosion 22 atomic bombs.