NASA has revealed that a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu contains water and carbon, providing further evidence for the theory that life on Earth originated from outer space. The sample, which was returned to Earth as part of the OSIRIS-REx mission, is the largest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever collected. Carbon accounted for almost 5% of the sample’s weight and was present in both organic and mineral form, while the water was trapped inside clay minerals. Scientists believe that water-carrying asteroids hitting Earth billions of years ago contributed to the planet’s habitability. The sample will be shared with labs around the world for further study.
https://phys.org/news/2023-10-nasa-asteroid-sample-life-critical-carbon.html