Japan's priceless asteroid Ryugu sample got 'rapidly colonized' by Earth bacteria
"The fact that terrestrial microbes are the Earth's best colonizers means we can never completely discount terrestrial contamination."
Samples of 'alien' asteroid Ryugu are crawling with life — from Earth
Scientists have found microorganisms crawling over a sample retrieved from the 200 million-mile-distant asteroid Ryugu. But they almost certainly came from Earth.
Ryugu asteroid sample rapidly colonized by terrestrial life despite strict contamination control
Panspermia is the hypothesis that life can survive the transfer between planetary bodies as a secondary path for life to get started on planets throughout a solar system. The discovery of extraterrestrial life on asteroids or within meteorites would have profound implications for understanding the origins and distribution of life in the universe.
Life found on Ryugu asteroid sample, but it’s not as exciting as it sounds
A recent discovery made by scientists working with a sample of rock from outer space highlights one of the huge challenges that such work involves.
Signs of Life in Asteroid Sample Turn Out to Be Something Embarrassing
Last year, researchers excitedly announced that they had found two organic compounds essential for living organisms in samples retrieved from an asteroid called Ryugu. The Japanese Space Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft obtained the samples from the space rock in 2019.
Scientists discover life on samples of asteroid Ryugu. Here's what it means
The microorganisms were seen crawling over a sample which was brought from 200 million-mile-distant asteroid Ryugu
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Earth Bids Goodbye to Its 'Mini-Moon,' as Astronomers Investigate Where Our Planet's Asteroid Companion Came From
After almost two months of companionship, Earth has just lost its “mini-moon.” On Monday, the asteroid dubbed 2024 PT5 was ...
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Earth's '2nd moon' escapes our planet's orbit — will it ever return?
The mini-moon 2024 PT5, which has been orbiting Earth for two months and is likely a chunk of the moon, will now drift away ...
Earth parts ways with its temporary ‘second moon’
A temporary “mini- moon ” orbiting the Earth for the last two months drifted away on Tuesday, resuming its journey around the ...
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Famous Star Hasn’t Formed Planets, and We Don’t Know Why
The nearby star Vega, featured in the 1997 movie Contact, appears to have a smooth disk devoid of giant planets for reasons ...
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Earth’s ‘Mini Moon’ Leaving Orbit
Earth’s second satellite, a “Mini Moon,” is leaving orbit Monday after following our planet for approximately two months.
Rare Asteroid Sample Contaminated by Microorganisms Despite Scientists’ Best Efforts
A chunk of rock collected from the asteroid Ryugu contains bacteria—but, unfortunately, it's not evidence of alien life.
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Angry Planet
What if Earth were furious with humanity? What if revolutionaries took their cues from an unruly planet? Anne ...