TOKYO (AP) – Japanese experts said on Thursday that they will examine soil samples from a distant asteroid in an attempt to find the heat source that has altered the celestial body, looking for clues as to the origin of the solar system and life on Earth. Earth.
Scientists at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said they had done a preliminary examination of 5.4 grams (0.19 ounces) of soil, far more than the minimum 0.1 gram sample they expected, that the Hayabusa2 spacecraft brought back. in December from the asteroid Ryugu, more than 300 million kilometers (190 million miles) from Earth.
About 3 grams (0.1 ounce) of the black granules are from Ryugu’s surface and were collected when Hayabusa2 landed on the asteroid in April 2019. About 2 grams of larger fragments, up to about 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) , were obtained from below the surface of a crater made by Hayabusa2 when it landed for the second time three months later.
Based on the analysis of an infrared spectrophotometer close to the data transmitted by Hayabusa2, JAXA scientists found that the asteroid was exposed to extremely high temperatures both on the surface and underground, possibly caused by an internal source of heat or planetary collisions instead of heat from the sun.
Kohei Kitazato, a planetary scientist at Aizu University who works with JAXA, said his team found evidence of heat in excess of 300 degrees Celsius (572 degrees Fahrenheit), both on the surface of the asteroid and underground.
He said the subterranean soil would not reach this temperature only with the heat of the sun, suggesting that the radiative internal heat or planetary collisions affected Ryugu when he was still part of a parent body billions of years ago, causing his water to evaporate.
His previous study, conducted in conjunction with academics at Brown University and more than 30 other institutions, was published in the journal Nature Astronomy last month.
JAXA is continuing an initial examination of asteroid samples before further studies next year. Scientists will also examine possible traces of organic matter in the hope of providing information about the origins of the solar system and life on Earth.
After studies in Japan, some of the samples will be shared with NASA and other international space agencies for further research.
Hayabusa2 continues on an 11-year expedition to another small and distant asteroid, 1998KY26, to study possible defenses against meteorites that could fly towards Earth, while carrying out various tests that can be used in future Japanese space missions, including your sample 2024 MMX planned – return mission from one of the Martian moons.