"NASA's Bennu Samples Suggest Origin from Lost Ocean World"

NASA scientists are analyzing fragments from the Bennu asteroid and have found evidence suggesting it originated from an ancient ocean world, based on the unique phosphate crust detected. The mineral's chemistry resembles that found on Saturn's moon, Enceladus, and is a crucial building block of life, supporting the hypothesis that asteroids may have sparked life on Earth. The world Bennu was part of likely resembled Enceladus but was destroyed by a collision, forming thousands of asteroids. This rare opportunity to study asteroid samples will provide insights into the formation of the Solar System and our origins, with ongoing research expected to yield more discoveries and possibly confirm the type of planetesimal that spawned Bennu.