Samples from the Ryugu asteroid that were collected by the Hayabusa2 space probe contain water, according to a paper by researchers from Hokkaido University, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and other institutions that was published in the academic journal Science.
The researchers claim the discovery could shine a light on the origin of the solar system and the mystery of where the water in Earth's oceans came from.
According to the paper, water and substances indicating the existence of water added up to 7% of the mineral sample's weight. The minerals are believed to have been created about 5 million years after the birth of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago.
