EXPLAINER
What space rocks tell us about the Solar System
Penny Wozniakiewicz looks at how samples from other worlds are analysed by scientists
During the early hours of 6 December 2020, JAXA’s Hayabusa2 sample return capsule re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, streaking across the sky above Southern Australia and landing in the Woomera Test Range. Scientists around the globe were eager to see the precious cargo it carried – samples from asteroid 162173 Ryugu, a C-type or carbonaceous asteroid. C-type asteroids contain large quantities of
