Near-Earth asteroid Ryugu resembles a rounded double pyramid. Photo: JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, Aizu University, AIST
Near-Earth asteroid Ryugu resembles a rounded double pyramid. Photo: JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, Aizu University, AIST The asteroid Ryugu probably formed at the outer edge of the solar system beyond the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. This conclusion is suggested by high-precision measurements that determine the ratio of different iron isotopes in rock samples from Ryugu. An international research group with participation of the Göttingen MPI for Solar System Research (MPS) and the University of Göttingen reports these results in the journal Science Advances . According to this, Ryugu's list of ingredients differs significantly from that of typical carbon-rich meteorites in one crucial point. Instead, everything points to a close relationship with a rare meteorite class, which can also be assigned to the outer solar system. The sample capsule that landed in Australia on December 5, 2020, contained just five grams of rock material.
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