NASA Scientists Find Fosphate Compounds In Bennu Asteroid Samples

The asteroid Bennu sample contains phosphate (photo: dock. NASA)

JAKARTA Since landing on Earth in September last year, asteroid Bennu has been still being investigated to date. Scientists continue to research its asteroid samples to find various elements in it. The OSIRIS-REx Sample Analyst Team, a mission that carries Bennu samples to Earth, released the results of recent observations. They revealed that Bennu contains original material forming the solar system such as carbon, nitrogen, and organic compounds. However, the important findings for scientists are magnesium-natrium phosphates, biochemical compounds found throughout the living thing. These compounds are not detected in remote sensing so the findings are quite surprising. Dante Lauretta, one of the researchers, said that magnesium-natrium phosphate provides clues to the origin of such asteroids. There is a possibility that these asteroids have once been part of planets that contain water content. "The presence and state of phosphates, along with other elements and compounds in Bennu, suggest a grim asteroid's past," said Dante. "Bennu has the potential to be a part of a wettering world. Nevertheless, this hypothesis requires further investigation. Although this rock sample is thought to have interacted with water, Bennu remains a primitive or structured asteroid of the remnant material of solar system formation. The proportion of this rock element is very similar to the Sun according to scientists.

Dante menjelaskan bahwa temuan ini membuktikan bahwa penelitian material sangat penting untuk dilakukan, khususnya untuk asteroid seperti Bennu. "Material ini memegang kunci kunci untuk mengungkap proses rumit pembentutan tata surya." Bennu akan terus diteliti hingga beberapa bulan dan tahun mendatang. Terlebih lagi, fractionan sampel Bennu akan diteliti oleh para ilmuwan di seluruh dunia. Setelah sampel ini dikirim dan diteliti lebih lanjut, para ilmuwan mung bisa menemukan bahan atau compound lainnya.