Asteroid Ryugu’s hidden waters could explain how Earth got its oceans

Scientists analyzing samples from asteroid Ryugu discovered that liquid water flowed through the space rock more than a billion years after it formed, challenging beliefs that water activity on asteroids only occurred early in solar system history. The team found isotope ratios indicating water had leached through Ryugu's rocks, likely triggered by an impact that melted buried ice. This suggests carbon-rich asteroids retained water much longer than expected and could have delivered two to three times more water to early Earth than current models estimate, potentially reshaping understanding of how our planet's oceans formed.