Jakarta –
Last September 24, the Osiris-Rex probe returned to Earth to send samples from Asteroid Bennu. Now, scientists reveal what they discovered from these samples.
This was reported by The New York Times, that scientists found waterlogged clay minerals, sulfur, magnetite, and of course carbon in the samples obtained. So, what are the benefits of discovering these four materials?
Clay Minerals
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You could say, this is the biggest discovery to date. The reason is, this content helps scientists get an idea of how the Earth finally has water that supports the life of creatures on it.
According to them, the Asteroid Bennu once hit Earth and indirectly sent clay minerals.
“The reason why Earth is habitable, we have oceans, lakes, rivers and rain, is because clay minerals like the ones we see from Bennu landed on Earth four billion years ago,” said Dante Lauretta, a professor of planetary science at the University of Arizona who served as the mission’s principal investigator.
Sulfur
The function of sulfur is no less important than water. Quoted from detikcom, this content is often used in the drug industry, plantations, and even the chemical industry, one of which is making explosives.
It is also stated that sulfur is an important element for many geological transformations of rocks.
“This determines how fast something melts and this is also very important for biology,” Lauretta was quoted as saying detikINET from The New York Times, Thursday (12/20/2023)
A magnet
Iron oxide minerals are known to have the strongest magnetic power compared to other oxides. This material plays an important role as a catalyst in organic chemical reactions, is useful in making steel, and as a pigment for paintings and ceramics.
Carbon
Even though it seems that we are full of carbon, especially because of its bad impact on life, this is actually a key element of life on Earth which was found in 4.7% of samples from the asteroid Bennu.
Quoted from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), carbon helps regulate the earth’s temperature, allows life to occur, is a key ingredient in every food we eat, and is a source of energy to drive our global economy.
Until now, scientists have not been sure about how much material they have. But after a few weeks, they hope to be able to weigh all the materials.
*This article was written by Khalisha Fitri, a participant in the Merdeka Campus Certified Internship Program at detikcom.
Watch the Video “NASA Will Announce Update on Asteroid Bennu Samples”
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2023-10-13 06:15:08
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