Ryugu Archives

An illustration of the catastrophic collision and gravitation reaccumulation model. (1) The Ryugu progenitor planetesimal forms via the accretion of silicate dust and water-rich ice. (2) aqueous alteration leads to the alteration of the silicate dust and the formation of new minerals. Organic matter accreted within the ice is also altered to form new OM. (3) an impactor collides with the planetesimal reducing the body to debris. (4) the debris reaccumulates due to gravity and forms a rubble pile asteroid. (5) Rotation imparted by the impact and from the YORP effect leads to the generation of a spinning top-shaped asteroid and its movement into a near-Earth orbit. Credit for the image of Ryugu belongs with JAXA. -- Life

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release

Organic Matter In The Asteroid Ryugu: What We Know So Far

by Keith CowingJuly 31, 2023July 31, 2023

Simple Summary: Organic matter is an integral part of all living things on our planet, but abiotic (not relating to life) organic matter can be found throughout the Solar System […]

A representative texture of the Ryugu particle (A0022). (a) An optical image of an entire view of the particle. The rough and irregular surface is finely cracked, resulting in the particle being fragile in nature. (b) A back-scattered electron image of a cross section of the particle. Several µm to 10’s of µm-sized carbonates (mainly dolomite), Fe-oxides (e.g., magnetite), and Fe-sulfides (e.g., pyrrhotite) are widespread in the phyllosilicate-dominated matrix (smectite and serpentine), which also includes sub-µm-sized organic matter, Fe-sulfide, carbonate, and phosphate minerals. -- Okayama University

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

How Were Amino Acids Formed Before The Origin Of Life On Earth?

by Keith CowingApril 5, 2023April 5, 2023

Our solar system formed from a molecular cloud, which was composed of gas and dust that was emitted into the interstellar medium (ISM), a vast space between stars. On collapse […]

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release

Uracil Has Been Found In Asteroid Ryugu Samples

by Keith CowingMarch 21, 2023March 21, 2023

Researchers have analyzed samples of asteroid Ryugu collected by the Japanese Space Agency’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft and found uracil—one of the informational units that make up RNA, the molecules that contain […]

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release

Ryugu Asteroid Sample Reveals That It Has A Rich Complement Of Organic Molecules

by Keith CowingFebruary 23, 2023February 23, 2023

Asteroid Ryugu has a rich complement of organic molecules, according to a NASA and international team’s initial analysis of a sample from the asteroid’s surface delivered to Earth by Japan’s […]

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Press Release

Ancient Asteroid Grains Provide Insight Into The Evolution Of Our Solar System

by Keith CowingDecember 27, 2022December 27, 2022

The UK’s national synchrotron facility, Diamond Light Source, was used by a large, international collaboration to study grains collected from a near-Earth asteroid to further our understanding of the evolution […]

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release

Analysis Of Particles Of The Asteroid Ryugu Delivers Surprising Results

by Keith CowingOctober 30, 2022October 30, 2022

Frank Brenker and his team are world leaders in a method that makes it possible to analyse the chemical composition of material in a three-dimensional and entirely non-destructive way and […]