Astounding Discovery: Ryugu’s Rocks Held Ice for Over a Billion Years, Tokyo University Reveals
Tokyo, Japan – September 10, 2025 – In a groundbreaking revelation that promises to reshape our understanding of early solar system processes, researchers at the University of Tokyo have announced the astonishing discovery that samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu have retained ice for more than a billion years. This remarkable finding, published today, offers an unprecedented window into the conditions that prevailed in our nascent solar system and the potential for water delivery to early Earth.
The research, spearheaded by scientists at the University of Tokyo, focused on detailed analysis of the samples retrieved by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Hayabusa2 mission. These precious fragments of Ryugu, a carbonaceous asteroid, have undergone rigorous scientific examination since their return to Earth. The latest findings specifically highlight the presence of hydrated minerals within the Ryugu samples, which have acted as microscopic time capsules, preserving evidence of water in its icy form for an astonishingly long period.
For over a billion years, shielded within the asteroid’s mineral matrix, ice crystals have remained remarkably intact. This longevity is attributed to the protective environment within Ryugu itself. The asteroid’s composition and its location within the solar system likely provided the stable, low-temperature conditions necessary to prevent the ice from sublimating or melting over such immense timescales.
The implications of this discovery are profound. Firstly, it provides direct evidence that water, in its most fundamental form, was present in significant quantities in the outer solar system during its formative stages. This strongly supports the theory that asteroids like Ryugu played a crucial role in delivering water to the early Earth, a process considered vital for the emergence of life as we know it.
Secondly, the preservation of ice for such an extended duration offers invaluable insights into the thermal history of asteroids and the primitive solar nebula. It allows scientists to reconstruct the ancient environment with a degree of detail previously unattainable. By studying the specific types of hydrated minerals and the state of the preserved ice, researchers can infer temperatures, radiation levels, and chemical reactions that occurred billions of years ago.
The Hayabusa2 mission, a triumph of international scientific collaboration, has once again delivered extraordinary scientific rewards. The successful collection and return of Ryugu’s samples have opened up a new era of asteroid science, enabling these detailed investigations that were simply not possible with remote observations.
This discovery from the University of Tokyo not only enriches our knowledge of the solar system’s past but also fuels future exploration. The continued analysis of Ryugu’s samples is expected to yield further revelations, potentially shedding light on other fundamental questions about planetary formation, the origin of organic molecules, and the potential for habitability beyond Earth. The scientific community eagerly awaits the forthcoming publications and the ongoing exploration of these celestial treasures.
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東京大学 published ‘小惑星リュウグウの岩石は氷を十億年も持っていた！’ at 2025-09-10 15:00. Please write a detailed article about this news in a polite tone with relevant information. Please reply in English with the article only.