According to Japanese media, the dust that the Japanese probe Hayabusa2 returned to Earth from the asteroid Ryugu contained 20 amino acids.
Which is really exciting, because amino acids are the stuff of life. They help build proteins, act as neurotransmitters in the brain, and are completely ubiquitous and essential to terrestrial life. Last month, the beloved journal Nature published research suggesting that amino acids played a crucial role in the evolution of the first self-replicating molecules.
Outlets such as Nikkei report that a spokesman for the Ministry of Science mentioned the presence of amino acids yesterday, with a work index revised by upcoming pairs, but without any other details.
This is little information, but the Japanese space agency JAXA has previously hinted that it will share big news about Hayabusa2 in the spring (north). The presence of amino acids in the asteroid Ryugu is considered very big news, because one of the mysteries of the universe is how and why life evolved here on Earth.
One theory is that the ingredients of life can be found in space, and their occasional encounters with comets, asteroids, planets, or moons allow life to spread.
Finding amino acids in Ryugu is an impetus for this theory.
There is a long way to go before the theory is consolidated. For starters, Hayabusa2 brought only 5.4 grams of asteroid material to Earth and Ryugu is just one of countless asteroids. Peer-reviewed research has not yet appeared.
At the top, amino acids were also found on the Moon. On the downside, Japan’s first asteroid sample return mission found only rocks.
So it is probably a little premature to state that we are not alone. But if you want to believe me, maybe the chance of another life out there has increased a bit. ®