4.5 billion-year-old asteroid could reveal the origins of life on Earth
by Nina Massey
Nov 28, 2023
3 minutes
Samples of a 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid that have travelled millions of miles to make it to Earth could reveal the origins of life on the planet.
The teaspoon-sized specimen, taken from asteroid Bennu, is being examined by scientists at the Natural History Museum (NHM).
The otherwise unremarkable black dust-like sample could help shed light on some of the biggest questions about how Earth formed.
It could hold vital clues to the formation of the planets and our solar system, experts say.
Professor Sara Russell, senior research lead at
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