Asteroid Ryugu May Be Remnant Of An Extinct Comet, According To Research

This asteroid RyuguMade famous when it was visited by the Japanese space mission Hayabusa2 in 2019, it was once again the subject of debate among planetary scientists earlier this year. Before analysis of samples of the space object is complete, a study led by researchers at Nagoya University in Japan suggests: The super-shaped asteroid is the remnant of an ancient comet.

According to principal investigator Hitoshi Miura, the thesis, which fits all the features observed in Ryugu, will fully fulfill the current scientific consensus. Current thinking, still based on information obtained from afar, says that the so-called “diamond asteroid” originated from debris left over from the collision of two larger asteroids.

After all, what is the origin of Ryugu?

Such a feature based on remote information says that Ryugu has a remarkably high organic matter content. This undermines the reaccumulation scenario as Ryugu’s samples contain this content. much larger than carbonaceous chondritesmeteorites formed in the early days of the solar system.

In an attempt to identify the true origin of the asteroid, the study published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters He suggests that such a space object, composed of piles of rubble, may actually be the remnants of an extinct comet. According to scientists, these tiny bodies formed in the outermost and coldest regions of the solar system. leaving rocky debris behind it compacts and forms asteroids.

ARTICLE Astrophysical Journal Letters – DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ac4bd5.