24/7 Space News
IRON AND ICE
Illuminating ancient origins of 4BN year-old Asteroid Ryugu
illustration only
Illuminating ancient origins of 4BN year-old Asteroid Ryugu
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 30, 2024

Researchers at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) recently participated in an international study of fragments from asteroid 162173 Ryugu, collected by a Japanese space mission. The APS, a light source facility operated by the Department of Energy, employed Mossbauer spectroscopy - a technique uniquely suited to studying small samples - on specks of dust from Ryugu. The results revealed that the asteroid originated in the outer solar system as part of a much larger body formed over 4 billion years ago before moving to its current orbit within 60,000 miles of Earth.

The analysis of these minute asteroid fragments, sent to APS for examination via powerful X-ray beams, revealed crucial details about Ryugu's past and chemical composition. Utilizing Mossbauer spectroscopy, scientists discovered that Ryugu initially consisted primarily of ice, which evolved as it journeyed across space and experienced temperature changes over millions of years. The fragments held elements that provided essential data on the conditions at the solar system's outer edges where they originated.

A critical aspect of the APS's contribution was the ability of the facility's X-ray beam to focus down to 4 microns, enabling detailed readings of these fragments, which ranged from 400 microns to one millimeter in diameter. This precision allowed scientists to determine the oxidation state of iron in each sample, revealing that Ryugu's structure was once porous and ice-laden. Over time, however, the ice melted, leaving behind a fine-grained, iron-rich residue, including pyrrhotite, a type of iron sulfide absent in meteorites similar to Ryugu fragments. This discovery provided new constraints on the temperature and location of Ryugu's parent asteroid at the time of its formation.

Together with findings from numerous research groups, APS data offered a comprehensive view of Ryugu's journey through space. The data illuminated its evolution from a large, icy body in the outer solar system to its current, rocky form, rich in unique elements from its ancient origin.

Research Report:Formation and Evolution of Carbonaceous Asteroid Ryugu: Direct Evidence from Returned Samples

Related Links
Advanced Photon Source
Asteroid and Comet Mission News, Science and Technology

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
IRON AND ICE
Hera's CubeSats call home from Deep Space
Paris, France (SPX) Oct 29, 2024
The European Space Agency's Hera mission for planetary defense has confirmed the successful activation of its two CubeSat passengers, marking ESA's first use of CubeSats in deep space. The two CubeSats completed initial system checks, exchanging signals with Earth for the first time to verify their status. "Each CubeSat was activated for about an hour in turn, in live sessions with the ground to perform commissioning - what we call 'are you alive?' and 'stowed checkout' tests," said Franco Perez L ... read more

IRON AND ICE
Dragon Freedom Prepares for Short Relocation Ahead of Cargo Mission

Students' Experiments Launch to Space Aboard SpaceX Resupply Mission

After pause, NASAs Voyager 1 back communicating with mission team

Students aid NASA's plant growth research in space

IRON AND ICE
Southern Launch fully approved for Whalers Way rocket pad in South Australia

Official opening of the DLR BALIS test centre

SpaceX liftoff is 201st mission to expand its Starlink constellation

NASA offers virtual launch attendance, guest passport for next SpaceX supply mission

IRON AND ICE
Explanation found for encrusting of the Martian soil

Ancient Martian waterways carved beneath icy caps

Perseverance surveys its path as it ascends Jezero Crater

Red Rocks with Green Spots at 'Serpentine Rapids'

IRON AND ICE
Shenzhou 18 crew back in China after 6-month mission to Tiangong station

Shenzhou XIX Crew Joins Tiangong Space Station for Crew Rotation

Shenzhou-18 astronauts hand over Tiangong Station duties to new crew

Three-person crew enters China's Tiangong space station

IRON AND ICE
Sidus Space Integrates Iridium-Powered Upgrade for LizzieSat Platform

Hawkeye 360 enhances global monitoring with Clusters 9 and 10 now in opeation

Boeing exploring sale of space business: report

Space industry growth and Japan's role in satellite development

IRON AND ICE
Faster communication with Earth possible through record-sensitive receiver

NanoAvionics MP42 satellite survives impact with object in orbit

Lockheed Martin enhances space portfolio with Terran Orbital acquisition

Space resources challenge seeks innovators for Lunar technologies

IRON AND ICE
Ariel spacecraft prepares for rigorous tests at Airbus facility

Astronomers Identify New Organic Molecule in Interstellar Space

Optimal Learning Rates Revealed in New Study on Adaptation

Microbes thrive on iron in oxygen-free environments

IRON AND ICE
Uranus moon Miranda may hold a hidden ocean below its surface

NASA and SpaceX Set for Europa Clipper Launch on October 14

NASA probe Europa Clipper lifts off for Jupiter's icy moon

Is life possible on a Jupiter moon? NASA goes to investigate

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.