In a groundbreaking revelation, scientists have uncovered that liquid water flowed across the surface of the asteroid that spawned Ryugu, a near-Earth object, much later than previously believed. This shocking discovery challenges established theories on asteroid water activity.

The evidence emerged from analyzing rock samples collected by Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft between 2018 and 2019, which brought back these cosmic treasures to Earth on December 5, 2020. Previously, it was thought that any water presence on asteroids like Ryugu faded within the early moments of the solar system's history.

This new finding, published in recent studies, not only reshapes our understanding of planet formation but reinforces the theory that asteroids delivered much of Earth's water during its formation phase. Tsuyoshi Iizuka, a scientist from the University of Tokyo, exclaimed, "We found that Ryugu preserved a pristine record of water activity! This fundamentally alters how we view the longevity of water in asteroids."

The Chemical Mystery of Ryugu