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Bennu

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Space harbors life’s ingredients: nucleobases and amino acids found, but DNA and RNA remain undetected
space8 days ago

Space harbors life’s ingredients: nucleobases and amino acids found, but DNA and RNA remain undetected

Space has yielded nucleobases—the building blocks of DNA and RNA—and amino acids on the asteroid samples Bennu and Ryugu, along with more than a dozen prebiotic molecules detected in molecular clouds; of about 350 detected space molecules, roughly 180 are complex organic molecules. DNA and RNA themselves have not been found in space, but detections of sugars like erythrulose and other organics suggest the basic ingredients of life can form in space, potentially even before stars and planets, with future missions aiming to uncover larger molecules like ribose or RNA.

via Live Science|
#amino-acids#bennu#nucleobases
Bennu's chemistry reveals RNA-building blocks in the early solar system
science1 month ago

Bennu's chemistry reveals RNA-building blocks in the early solar system

Scientists analyzing asteroid Bennu samples found ribose and glucose, plus phosphate and all known RNA nucleobases, suggesting the raw ingredients for RNA were present in the early solar system long before life on Earth; however, this does not prove RNA formation or life on Bennu, only that the components were available and preserved in a small body.

via Space Daily|
#astrobiology#bennu#osiris-rex
Bennu’s Cracked Boulders Explain Its Surprising Heat Loss
science5 months ago

Bennu’s Cracked Boulders Explain Its Surprising Heat Loss

NASA researchers analyzing Bennu’s surface samples found the boulders are porous and riddled with extensive crack networks. XCT scans and lab thermography show cracks significantly influence heat transfer. When scaled up to boulder size, these findings explain Bennu’s observed thermal inertia and resolve the mismatch between telescope data and in-situ measurements, grounding asteroid interpretations in the actual samples.

via NASA Science (.gov)|
#bennu#cracks#osiris-rex
Amino Acids Formed in Freezing Space on Bennu, Hinting at Life's Beginnings Beyond Water
science6 months ago

Amino Acids Formed in Freezing Space on Bennu, Hinting at Life's Beginnings Beyond Water

NASA’s analysis of asteroid Bennu’s samples shows amino acids formed in frigid conditions long before the asteroid’s current orbit, with 14 of Earth’s 20 standard amino acids detected and evidence that left‑ and right‑handed forms carry different nitrogen isotopes. This challenges the idea that liquid water is always needed for amino‑acid formation, suggesting prebiotic chemistry could occur in more environments and expanding potential habitats for life in the universe, while signaling new questions about chirality in biology.

via Jalopnik|
#amino-acids#astrobiology#bennu
Bennu’s Amino Acids Point to Ice-Driven Origins of Life’s Building Blocks
science6 months ago

Bennu’s Amino Acids Point to Ice-Driven Origins of Life’s Building Blocks

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx samples from the 4.6-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu reveal amino acids, including glycine, can form in space and may arise in icy, radiation-exposed conditions in the early Solar System rather than only in liquid water; this suggests multiple pathways for the building blocks of life and shows Bennu’s isotopic signatures differ from the Murchison meteorite, indicating diverse origins for prebiotic molecules.

via Universe Today|
#amino-acids#bennu#glycine
NASA's OSIRIS-REx Unveils Bennu's Ancient Ingredients
science-and-space2 years ago

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Unveils Bennu's Ancient Ingredients

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission has returned a sample from asteroid Bennu, revealing it contains key materials from the early solar system, including carbon, nitrogen, and organic compounds. The sample also shows signs of a watery past, suggesting Bennu may have originated from a primitive ocean world. This discovery provides valuable insights into the conditions of the early solar system and the potential origins of life on Earth.

via SciTechDaily|
#asteroid-sample#bennu#nasa