The asteroid Ryugu offers a glimpse into our Solar System’s distant past. In 2020, during the Hayabusa2 mission, two tiny grains from Ryugu landed on Earth. These grains contain minerals that are older than anything found here.
One grain comes from the surface of the asteroid, while the other is sourced from its interior. Both serve as valuable records of the early Solar System and the chemical processes that shaped it.
Recent X-ray analysis of these grains was published in 2024 and explained further by experts at Brookhaven National Laboratory within the US Department of Energy. Project lead Paul Northrup, a geoscientist at Stony Brook University, shared how advanced techniques help in analyzing the samples without damaging them. “This is vital as so many researchers are vying for a limited amount of material,” he said.
Earth has lost much of its early geochemical history due to various geological processes. In contrast, carbonaceous asteroids like Ryugu remain largely untouched. This preservation makes Ryugu samples incredibly rare and significant, as only 5.4 grams of material were returned, with Northrup’s team accessing just 9.3 milligrams of it.
The researchers utilized two X-ray imaging techniques to uncover a range of minerals and compounds in the grains, including selenium, iron, sulfur, and phosphorus. Notably, they found phosphorus in two forms: one that resembles a mineral found in teeth and bones, and another rare phosphide not present on Earth.
While the exact nature of this second mineral is still under investigation, further research revealed a crystalline form called hydrated ammonium magnesium phosphorus (HAMP) in 2024. This is a mineral not found on our planet and suggests a connection to biological processes. Astrobiologist Matthew Pasek highlighted in *Nature Astronomy* that such findings could shed light on how life on Earth might have begun.
This ongoing investigation into Ryugu is crucial. Each grain helps us piece together the story of our Solar System’s beginnings, demonstrating the potential connections between extraterrestrial materials and the origins of life.
The findings from this study were published in Geosciences.
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