Scientists might soon have an answer for where the Earth’s water came from - thanks to dust 🚰 We know this sounds like an episode of 'His Dark Materials' but bear with us 👇
Scientists might soon have an answer for where the Earth’sResearchers at the University of Arizona have uncovered evidence suggesting that tiny salt grains discovered on an asteroid sample brought back to Earth by the Japanese Hayabusa spacecraft could hold the key to unravelling the origins of Earth’s water.
The study focused on a dust particle obtained from asteroid Itokawa, an S-type asteroid measuring approximately 1,100 feet in diameter and completing a rotation every 12 hours.Metro.co.uk and New Scientist Jobs have teamed up to conduct a global survey of LGBTQIA+ experiences in STEM industriesAnalysis of this particle revealed the presence of tiny salt grains composed of sodium chloride, the same compound that constitutes table salt.
The revelation of salt grains on Itokawa is significant as it suggests that the space rock may have once been enveloped in liquid water.Sodium chloride is a highly soluble compound, readily dissolving in water. If Itokawa had experienced a watery environment, the salt grains would have dissolved within it.
However, the fact that these grains remain intact on the asteroid’s surface strongly suggests that the water present had evaporated, leaving behind the salt residue.
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