Scientists found small salt grains in an asteroid sample come from space

When scientists can find evidence of the presence of water in space, then what is salt? Researchers have discovered salt (sodium chloride) crystals in a sample of an asteroid brought to Earth by a Japanese spacecraft. Japan’s Hayabusa mission collected a sample from asteroid Itokawa in 2005. The sample was brought to Earth in the year 2010. After analyzing it, the salt crystals found look just like the salt crystals used at home.

This is the first of its kind research which suggests that the salt crystals on Earth came from its parent asteroid. Itokawa is an S-type asteroid. Such meteorites and asteroids have been found on Earth in the past.

Last year, a study also revealed that water on Earth may have come from asteroids. Researchers came to this conclusion after examining the samples brought to Earth from the asteroid Ryugu. These samples were also collected by Japan’s spacecraft Hayabusa-2.

Researchers believe that Earth was formed in the inner region of the solar nebula, where temperatures were very high. This means that water on Earth had to come from the outer regions of the solar nebula, where temperatures would have been lower. Scientists believe that comets and asteroids outside the solar nebula collided with the Earth to deliver water.

The sample in which the researchers discovered salt i.e. sodium chloride is a dust particle, whose diameter is 150 micrometers. This is twice the width of a human hair. The team examined a small part of this particle which was only 5 microns wide.

Researchers denied that the sample could have been contaminated in any way. Before starting the research, scientists examined the sample thoroughly. He was safe for 5 years. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the salt they found in the sample is from Itokawa.