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Thesolar systemholds many secrets that scientists are still trying to ravel out . To help oneself throw off Light Within on these closed book , researcher are turn to space rocks of all kinds that may hold clues to the suffer story of our solar scheme ’s past . This approach is already bearing yield : In October 2023,NASA’sOSIRIS REx missiondiscovered water and carbon paper — two of the forerunner for life on Earth — on the 4.5 billion - year - old asteroid Bennu .
Among the thousands of asteroids swarming near Earth ’s orbital cavity , minimoons — diminutive cosmic eubstance , whose orbits are partially governed by Earth and partially by other solar organization bodies — may be prime candidates for learning about the inception of the solar system , saidRichard Binzel , a prof of world skill at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
Near-Earth asteroids are similar to time capsules, holding secrets to the early history of the solar system, experts say. Temporary companions called ‘minimoons’ may be the best place to unearth these secrets.
" [ Minimoons ] in all likelihood have had a piece of a pinball game experience in the inner solar arrangement , being spring around and tugged on by the dissimilar planets,“Binzel state Live Science . " They lastly found themselves in a manner that they got tug into a more or less orbitual orbit near the Earth . "
Minimoons ' comparatively close proximity to Earth means traveling to them and take hold of a sampling would take much less time and fuel than it would to get toasteroids like Bennu . Although scientists are n’t yet sure where minimoons came from , a leading theory suggests they originated in the independent asteroid belt , which is turn up between Mars and Jupiter .
nigh - Earth asteroids from this region , such as Bennu or a minimoon , are " like time capsules,“Paul Abell , master scientist for small body geographic expedition at NASA , told Live Science . " They give us indications of what the former solar organization was like [ and ] what the conditions were . "
For example , in 2019 , the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA ) retrieve samples from the adamant - determine asteroid Ryugu , settle more than 200 million stat mi ( 322 million kilometers ) from Earth . subsequently analysisrevealed that the space rock contains stardust that predates our solar system , as well as " prebiotic organics , " including several aminic Zen used by living organism to build up proteins that forge thing like hair and muscles .
Due to their law of proximity to Earth , minimoons are prime candidates for exploration . Now , some scientists want to expend these tiny satellites topush human beings further into the creation .
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Collecting sample from minimoons could help mitigate some big problem in current asteroid research . In most typeface , scientists study ball of asteroid that have fallen to Earth in the form of meteorites . These can still learn us about the solar system ’s early composition , but they may be difficult to canvass reckon on the status they are found in , Abell enunciate .
" When we have a meteorite decrease on Earth , it ’s already contaminate " by wet and gasses in Earth ’s atmosphere , he said . " When you ’re talk about constitutional molecules and water — more fickle type material — going to the source and figuring out what ’s there is really important . That ’s why we ’d like to do these sample distribution retrovert missions , likeOSIRIS REx . "
The OSIRIS - REx spacecraftdropped the Bennu sample off on Earth in September , complete NASA ’s first successful missionary station to collect sample from a far - flung asteroid . The skyrocket is now on its next mission to explore the asteroidApophisand is have a bun in the oven to make it in 2029 when the cosmic stone die within 19,800 miles ( 31,865 km ) of our planet .
NASA will continue to study the rocks and dust within Bennu over the next decade because " the bounty of carbon - rich textile and the abundant presence of water - bearing clay minerals are just the tip of the cosmic iceberg,“Dante Lauretta , OSIRIS - REx ’s principal researcher , said at anews conference in October .
For now , the success of the OSIRIS - king delegacy has inspired scientists planning the next phase of near - worldly concern geographic expedition — and the next easiest destination could be a minimoon , experts say .
