Why Some Asteroids Shine More Colorfully Than Others

Swift Summary

• asteroids, such as Bennu and Ryugu, are known to contain carbon and display differences in color despite similar compositions.
• NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission collected samples from Bennu in 2020 for detailed study.
• Research by asteroid scientist Michelle Thompson revealed that the color differences between Bennu (blueish) and Ryugu (reddish) arise due to their surface exposure ages. Ryugu’s debris is a few thousand years old, while Bennu’s has been exposed for tens of thousands of years.
• The findings suggest that both asteroids are at different stages in a singular surface cycle process involving space weathering.
• Scientists have also identified phosphates-critical components for metabolism and DNA-within bennu’s material.These organic molecules may offer insights into how life on Earth could have originated through asteroid impacts.

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