NASA’s asteroid mission has delivered a treasure trove of clues about life on Earth. The asteroid Bennu, which contains all 5 DNA and RNA nucleobases and 14 amino acids, has surprised scientists with its mix of ‘left-handed’ and ‘right-handed’ chemical structures. This raises questions about whether asteroids like Bennu seeded life on Earth.
The samples were collected in a sealed canister and analyzed in a clean laboratory space to ensure contamination was minimized. The results are significant because they provide the richest bounty of extraterrestrial compounds ever brought to Earth.
Asteroid Bennu also contains salts created billions of years ago, which could have fostered chemistry that led to life. Researchers believe these salty ponds on Bennu’s parent asteroid may have kick-started the creation of more complex organic molecules like nucleobases.
The discovery highlights how asteroids and planetary building blocks were “active objects” early in the Solar System’s history, rather than just “lumps of stone and ice.” The findings provide a unique window into the asteroid’s composition and its potential role in shaping life on Earth.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00264-3