Asteroid sample holds building blocks of life
An asteroid sample brought back to Earth in a historic space mission contains the "building blocks" of life.
The sample was collected from asteroid Bennu by the OSIRIS-REx and returned to Earth late last month.
Part of it has now been unveiled for the public to see at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC.
READ MORE: Rate hike tipped to sting home owners on Cup day
Samples from the asteroid Bennu have been put on display for the first time. CNN
Although it appears to be just a small rock, scientists are excited about what the sample portends.
It has been found to contain water and carbon molecules - essential for the development of life on Earth.
It's previously been theorised they were originally brought to Earth by asteroids in the first place, billions of years ago.
READ MORE: Two men charged following card skimming racket in multiple states
Scientists are now hopeful they can use what they discover from the asteroid to help trace the origins of life on Earth and the earliest days of the solar system.
"Having now returned to Earth without being exposed to our water-rich atmosphere or the life that fills every corner of our planet, the samples of Bennu hold the promise to tell us about the water and organics before life came to form our unique planet," said Tim McCoy, the museum's curator of meteorites who has worked on the OSIRIS-REx mission for nearly two decades as part of an international team of scientists.
Despite the historic significance of the display, it didn't arrive at the Smithsonian with a great deal of pomp.
In fact, the sample for display was conveyed in a person's carry-on baggage on a flight from Texas.
"The knowledge we gain from the study of the asteroid Bennu sample will influence our scientific understanding of the solar system for generations to come," said NASA administrator Bill Nelson.
"And in sharing this 4.5 billion-year-old sample with the public, we hope to inspire the Artemis generation and future generations to ask even bigger questions and make greater scientific discoveries."
- CNN contributed to this report
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
