Asteroid Ryugu Has Plenty of Organic Matter.

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A Japanese researcher says an initial analysis of samples from the Ryugu asteroid has yielded data that shows the presence of plenty of water and organic matter on the asteroid.

Professor Nakamura Eizo of Okayama University announced the findings at a news conference held by the Japanese space agency JAXA on Thursday.

His team is one of the eight in Japan that have received or will receive samples of rock and sand from Ryugu for analysis. The samples were brought to Earth last December in a capsule released by Japan’s Hayabusa2 asteroid probe.

The Okayama University researchers began analyzing the samples on June 2 ahead of the other teams.
Nakamura said his team measured the amount of hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen atoms in the samples, and converted the data into the amount of water and organic matter that could be formed.

The teams will spend a year analyzing the samples to shed light on the origins of water on Earth. They will also try to identify what kinds of organic matter exist on the asteroid.

University of Tokyo Professor Tachibana Shogo is a coordinator of the research efforts. He said he hopes the analysis of the samples will produce various pieces of evidence that may provide clues to the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth and how the oceans were created. JAXA Hayabusa2 Project Manager Tsuda Yuichi said the research teams are finally ready to carry out advanced analysis. He said he is looking forward to hearing about new scientific achievements.

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