Asteroid Itokawa confirmed that the water on Earth is cosmic origin

In 2010, there was an important event for the community space - the asteroid Itokawa was the first of its kind, where soil samples were brought back to Earth. The resulting materials are still being carefully studied by researchers from around the world, for example, a group of scientists from the University of Arizona was looking for their water particles. Finally, they were found, and scientists have yet another proof that a vital water on Earth came through asteroid.

to detect traces of water molecules, the researchers used a fairly complex, but the exact mass spectral analysis. The technology is to determine the ratio of the mass to charge ratio of ions, which are formed by ionization of samples of soil - in other words, this weighting being in the sample molecules. This is one of the most accurate ways to find it contains substances and determination of their amount. The soil samples was found mineral called pyroxene crystal structure in which water is contained. From this it follows that the asteroid Itokawa is rich in water, which supports the theory that he and others like objects can be the main deliverer of liquid in the developing world. In fact, more than half of the Earth's water may have a cosmic origin.

It is noteworthy that not only is Itokawa asteroid containing water. At the end of 2018 the probe OSIRIS-Rex gave a signal of its presence on the asteroid Bennu, which soil samples will be returned to Earth in 2023. Also, soil samples were collected from the asteroid Ryugu - engaged in this Japanese probe "Hayabusa 2".

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