In 1999, astronomers discovered an asteroid called Bernu, which may have preserved the initial material of the solar system's formation. It travels over the Earth every 6 years and is a threatening and very mysterious near-Earth object. In order to uncover the mystery of Bernu, the United States launched its first asteroid sampling probe, Osiris Rex, in 2016. Its primary task was to collect samples on Bernu to search for clues to the formation of the solar system and the origin of life. At the same time, scientists hope to find more asteroids with potential threats to Earth and understand their orbits and physical characteristics through studying Bernu, in order to protect Earth from impacts. According to a report by Nature, after more than 7 years of effort, Osiris Rex successfully returned to Earth on September 24th with samples collected on Bernu. On October 11th, NASA released photos, videos, and preliminary research results of the Bernoulli surface sample at the Johnson Space Center. The Bernoulli sample contains clay minerals with water in their crystal structure, bright or dark dust particles that look like salt and pepper, and sulfur rich minerals that may play a crucial role in planetary evolution. Researchers speculate that the water trapped in these clay minerals may have been formed in the early stages of the solar system. Asteroids may have brought these waters to early Earth and created environments suitable for human survival. The raw sample material from Bernoulli is a valuable resource that opens up a window for understanding the early solar system, "said Eileen Stansbery, one of the leaders of Bernoulli's sample analysis team and a researcher on celestial materials at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Previously, scientists had known that Bernu was a carbon rich asteroid, some of which combined with carbonate minerals. Carbonate minerals are mainly composed of carbon and oxygen, which is common in geological samples on Earth. In addition, there are organic substances formed by compounds containing carbon and hydrogen on Bernoulli. On Earth, organic compounds exist in living organisms, but they also exist before life appears. The above rich sample materials are only from the outside of the Osiris Rex sample tank, and the true treasure inside the sample tank will be revealed in the coming weeks. Author: Xu Rui (Xinhua News Agency)