What has been discovered in the OSIRIS-REx asteroid Bennu sample analysis?

The answer

Detailed analysis of asteroid Bennu samples, ongoing since their September 2023 return, has yielded remarkable findings published in 2024. The 121.6-gram sample contains approximately 4.7% carbon by weight - the highest measured in any extraterrestrial sample. Scientists identified 14 of the 20 amino acids used by life on Earth, though in racemic mixtures (equal left- and right-handed forms) confirming their non-biological origin. The samples contain abundant hydrated phyllosilicate minerals indicating prolonged water interaction on Bennu's parent body. Magnetite crystals suggest the parent asteroid had a magnetic field. Unexpectedly, researchers found sodium phosphate minerals, providing a direct link between asteroid chemistry and biological phosphorus requirements. The sample age dates to the earliest period of solar system formation, roughly 4.5 billion years ago, predating Earth itself.