Ryugu is a near-Earth object and a potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group. It measures approximately 900 metres (3,000 ft) in diameter and is a dark object of the rare spectral type Cb, with qualities of both a C-type asteroid and a B-type asteroid.

In June 2018, the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 arrived at the asteroid. After making measurements and taking samples, Hayabusa2 left Ryugu for Earth in November 2019 and returned the sample capsule to Earth on 5 December 2020.

The samples showed the presence of organic compounds, such as uracil (one of the four components in RNA) and vitamin B3.

  • Schmoo@slrpnk.net
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    1 year ago

    As far as we know, anyway, and we know very little. I don’t think we can say that most of the universe is lifeless with any confidence at this point.

    • roofuskit@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Yeah, our inability to find proof of life outside our planet has more to say about our technology than it has to say about whether there is other life out there. It would be quite the leap to confuse our inability to find it with it not being there.