Bennu has life’s building blocks

K.H.

IN 2023, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft returned to Earth with 4.3 ounces (121.9 grams) of precious material from asteroid 101955 Bennu. On Jan. 29, NASA announced that these samples have shed light on the history of water and the chemical ingredients of life in the solar system, as detailed by two research teams in separate Nature papers released that day. The samples contained 14 of the 20 amino acids that make up biological proteins, along with 19 nonbiological amino acids and the five nucleobases that form RNA and DNA. Scientists also found a surprising amount of ammonia, which can react with formaldehyde (also present) to create many amino acids. While these aren’t signs of life itself, they are the molecules that life uses as its fundamental building blocks. Their presence lends…

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Astronomy (Digital) - 1 Issue, May 2025

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