The alien roots of life: samples from asteroid Bennu reveal secrets of the ancient world

The container contained about 122 grams (4 ounces) of space dust and small rocks - the largest such "catch" outside the Moon. Two scientific teams, whose articles are published in the journals Nature and Nature Astronomy, identified in this substance not only amino acids and components for the formation of the "building blocks" of life, but also salty minerals, reminiscent of the existence of liquid water on the parent asteroid.

Source: Daniel Glavin, Abundant ammonia and nitrogen-rich soluble organic matter in samples from asteroid (101955) Bennu, Nature Astronomy, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-024-02472-9. www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02472-9

Key discoveries

1. The origin of life and water
   Scientists believe that such asteroids may have contributed to the emergence of life on Earth by "seeding" it with organic compounds. The presence of salty minerals suggests that a watery environment existed almost from the very beginning of the formation of these cosmic bodies. Researchers emphasise that it was the mixing of organics and sodium-rich salty water could be one of the crucial steps to the emergence of life.

2. The role of asteroid Bennu
   Bennu is a small formation (about 500 metres across) that separated from a larger asteroid after collisions with other objects. New analysis indicates that its "ancestor" possessed a network of underground lakes or even oceans. The water subsequently evaporated, leaving Bennu with salt and organic traces preserved over 4.5 billion years.

3. Unique preservation of substances
   According to the researchers, similar compounds disappear when ordinary meteorites fall to Earth, and here, thanks to the careful collection of samples from the surface of the asteroid and delivery in a sealed container, salts and organic molecules were not damaged.

4. Future missions and the search for life
   Scientists emphasise the importance of further study of such objects: China plans to launch its own mission to collect soil from the asteroid, and NASA is considering options to deliver samples from Mars. In addition, many scientists are attracted to objects rich in water, such as the dwarf planet Ceres, as well as the satellites of Jupiter and Saturn - Europa and Enceladus.

Significance for science

Discoveries in the Bennu samples have shown that organic molecules can arise under conditions where water and essential chemical elements have "accompanied" an asteroid almost since its formation. This strengthens the hypothesis that life on Earth could have arisen thanks to "gifts" from space. According to the curator of meteorites from the Smithsonian Institution Tim McCoy, the question "are we alone in the universe?" becomes even more relevant, because it is now clear that the fundamental components of life are not rare at all.