Washington: Scientists from the American space agency ``NASA'' have found material older than the sun in rock and dust samples collected from the asteroid Bennu, which is 302.2 million km from Earth, which has given important clues about the early solar system and the origins of life.
Scientists have identified grains that are older than our solar system in a sample from ``Bennu.'' These particles, called stardust, formed around dying stars billions of years ago (before the birth of the Sun) and have remained largely unchanged.
An international team of experts from the Natural History Museum in London and the University of Arizona has concluded that these particles provide a more accurate view of the beginnings of our solar system than meteorites found on Earth.
The sample collected from the asteroid ``Benu'' contains a diverse range of materials, including organic matter from the outer solar system, interstellar gas and high-temperature particles formed near the Sun before moving outward, the report said, citing a team of experts.