The samples collected by Hayabusa-2 fromAsteroid Ryugucontinue to reveal raw perceptivity into how the building cylinder block of life might have gotten to our satellite . Scientists now report the discovery of niacin ( also known as Vitamin B3 ) as well as uracil : one of the four nucleotide bases that are find oneself in RNA , a molecule used by all survive organisms to function .
“ We found uracil in the samples in small-scale amounts , in the range of 6–32 parts per billion ( ppb ) , while vitamin B3 was more abundant , in the grasp of 49–99 ppb , ” lead author Associate Professor Yasuhiro Oba at Hokkaido University , said in astatement . “ Other biological molecule were find in the sample as well , include a selection of amino group Elvis , amine and carboxylic acids , which are found in proteins and metabolism , respectively . ”
Hayabusa-2collected different sample , and the squad found divergence in the tightness of U between the two they analyzed . They theorise thatcosmic raysor ultraviolet photons might have sham one sample more than the other . Compounds seen in these two sample are similar to what has been seen in carbon - rich meteorite that have fallen down to Earth .
“ Scientists havepreviously foundnucleobases and vitamins in sure carbon - robust meteorites , but there was always the question of contamination by exposure to the Earth ’s environs , ” Oba explain . “ Since the Hayabusa2 spacecraft collected two samples directly from asteroid Ryugu and delivered them to Earth in sealed abridgement , pollution can be ruled out . ”
The mote were found thanks to a good soak . particle from the sample were steep in hot urine and the squad then used liquid chromatography coupled with high - resolution mess spectroscopy . There were several nitrogen - rich compounds beyond U and niacin , and the squad believes that they formed from simpler N - base molecules such as ammonia , methanal , or hydrogen cyanide .
Nitrogen - rich compounds are found in cometary ice and this isanother indicationthat Ryugu might have formed further out and over time moved into the inner solar system , where it is today .
“ The discovery of U in the sampling from Ryugu lends strength to current theory regarding the source of nucleobases in the early Earth , ” Oba concludes . “ TheOSIRIS - RExmission by NASA will be returning samples from asteroid Bennu this twelvemonth , and a comparative discipline of the composition of these asteroid will provide further data point to build on these theory . ”
The cogitation was reported in the journalNature Communications .
