Göttingen researcher crack secrets of the asteroid Ryugu!

Göttingen researcher crack secrets of the asteroid Ryugu!

In Göttingen, a fascinating research project is currently being carried out at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), which could illuminate the origin and development of our solar system. It is the examination of rock samples of the asteroid Ryugu, which were brought to Earth by the Japanese spacecraft 2 in 2020.

The samples that weigh only a few grams were opened, dissolved and analyzed in July 2024. These valuable boulders could provide decisive indications of the conditions of origin in the early solar system. The latest insights published in the journal Science Advances show that Ryugu may not have traveled as far from its original place of origin, as was previously assumed. Earlier theories had located him in the regions beyond the Saturnbahn, but now it looks like Ryugu could have been created near the Jupiter.

surprising knowledge

The current research showed that Ryugu and other carbon -rich asteroids may have arisen in the same region of the solar system, but at different times and under different conditions. Dr. Christoph Burkhardt, a scientist at the MPS, explains: "The results were very surprised. We had to rethink completely-not only in relation to Ryugu, but also in relation to the entire group of CI chondrite." This group is no longer seen as distant relatives of other asteroids, but as closer siblings that may have arisen in similar regions, but later and through other processes.

In order to be able to carry out such a meticulous analysis, it was necessary to wait three and a half years to open the sample. In order to ensure the scientific standards, special clean rooms and laboratories have been set up, which are equipped with plastic to prevent any contaminants from preventing metal parts.

When investigating the MPS, the researchers focused on comparing different nickel isotopes in the rehearsals. These isotopes are variants of the same chemical element, which differ only in the number of their neutrons. This analysis could provide important information about the conditions under which Ryugu was created.

The path of the asteroid

ryugu is one of the near -earth asteroids, which means that its orbit around the sun that crosses the earth without there is a risk of collision. It is believed that, like other -close asteroids, he has "traveled" from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter into the inner solar system. Scientists believe that its original locations are even further away from the sun, in the outer area of the solar system.

The study on the MPS shows that after the solar system was created, about two million years later, activities began to form the first carbon -rich chondrite. These were attracted to the gravity of the young sun and embarked on the way into the inner solar system, where they met the Jupiter at the time.

The interest in the rehearsals of the asteroid Ryugu is not only scientifically significant, but could also give deeper insights into the beginnings of our solar system. The researchers at the MPS hope that the detailed analyzes of the rock -sampled future theories will further develop the development of planets and asteroids. For more detailed information about these important research and its implications, detailed reports can be found at www.hna.de .