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Rare Mineral Found in Ryugu Asteroid Challenges Solar System Formation Theories Hayabusa2 Mission Uncovers Crucial Clues from Ryugu Pristine Samples and Their Importance The untouched samples retrieved from asteroid Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 mission on 6 December 2020 have been crucial in refining our knowledge of primitive asteroids and solar system formation. Ryugu, a C-type asteroid, comprises rock akin to CI chondrite meteorites — rich in carbon and bearing clear signs of past aqueous alteration. Discovery of an Unexpected Mineral in Ryugu Identification of Djerfisherite A team of researchers from Hiroshima University has identified the mineral djerfisherite —a potassium-bearing iron-nickel sulphide —within a grain from asteroid Ryugu. Its discovery is entirely unexpected, as such a mineral is not thought to form under the environmental conditions Ryugu is believed to have experienced. The Journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science has published the team's findings. Expert Insi...