A DECENT amount of ‘alien soil’ from a huge asteroid has been revealed by Japan’s space agency.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) sent its Hayabusa2 spacecraft on a mission to asteroid Ryugu back in 2014 and it dropped the sample back down to Earth recently.
Scientists have now confirmed that a good size sample of the asteroid was inside the capsule which fell down into the Australian outback on December 6.
They also released images of the black dust.
The sample of soil and gases is said to be greater than what the scientists initially anticipated.
JAXA Hayabusa2 project manager Yuichi Tsuda said in a video message: “We have confirmed a good amount of sand apparently collected from the asteroid Ryugu, along with gases.
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“The samples from outside of our planet, which we have long dreamed of, are now in our hands.”
Tsuda added that the event was a “major scientific milestone”.
The soil sample has been described as being like black sesame seeds or ground coffee.
The capsule landed in Australia after a 3billion mile journey that lasted six years.
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Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully released the small capsule and let it plummet towards Earth.
The samples could provide clues to the creation of our solar system and life on earth.
JAXA scientists went to southern Australia to collect the capsule this morning after it made its 3.2 billion-mile journey.
Hayabusa2 is now heading to a small asteroid called 1998KY26 on a journey set to take 10 years.
Asteroids, which orbit the sun but are much smaller than planets, are among the oldest objects in the solar system.
This means they can hold the clues as to how the Earth was formed.
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Capsule with samples from asteroid that may hold secret to life on Earth lands in Australia after 3 BILLION mile journey
What’s the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet?
Here’s what you need to know, according to Nasa…
- Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth)
- Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids
- Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it’ll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up
- Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn’t vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth’s atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite
- Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vapourising)
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In other space news, the only total eclipse of 2020 darkened skies across Latin America on December 14.
Britain is to launch a spacecraft next year in a mission to ambush a comet and unlock mysteries of the universe.
And, Nasa has announced its first team of astronauts that will be heading for the Moon.
What are your thoughts on the asteroid dust? Let us know in the comments…
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
