Asteroid Ryugu has all 5 nucleobases, confirming life's building blocks
Scientists have confirmed that asteroid Ryugu contains all five nucleobases, the key ingredients for DNA andRNA.
This adds real support to the idea that space rocks could have helped kickstart life on Earth by delivering these essential molecules.
Hayabusa2 mission's findings
Japan's Hayabusa2 mission brought back tiny samples from Ryugu, which researchers tested using super-sensitive tools.
Previous research had detected uracil, but now, for the first time, all five nucleobases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil) have been detected together.
Implications for understanding life's origins
Ryugu's balanced mix of these molecules is different from other space rocks we've studied before.
Since similar findings have now popped up on more than one asteroid, it's looking more likely that life's building blocks were scattered across the solar system, and maybe even delivered to early Earth by asteroids.