Asteroid contains building blocks of life, say scientists

Scientists have discovered that the asteroid Bennu contains the chemical building blocks of life, including amino acids and nucleobases essential for DNA. Samples collected by NASA's Osiris Rex spacecraft revealed a rich array of organic compounds and minerals. This finding supports the theory that asteroids like Bennu could have delivered crucial ingredients for life to Earth billions of years ago. Published in Nature and Nature Astronomy, the research sheds light on the origins of life and the potential for these compounds to have been distributed to other worlds in our Solar System.