Since its discovery in 1999, the near-Earth asteroid Bennu has captivated scientists as a time capsule from the early photo voltaic system — and in addition as a key to presumably understanding the origins of life.
To check the asteroid in depth, NASA launched the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to Bennu. The probe collected samples in 2020 and returned them to Earth in 2023.
What is it?
Around a third of a mile (or 500 meters) wide at its middle, Bennu is full of carbon-bearing compounds and minerals that formed over 4.6 billion years ago. According to NASA, Bennu could have shaped in the principle asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter earlier than drifting nearer to Earth.
Roughly each six years, Bennu is at its closest level to Earth in its orbit, round 186,000 miles (299,000 kilometers) from our planet. This accessible orbit made it the goal of the OSIRIS-REx mission, which allowed scientists to review the chemistry, geology and historical past of the asteroid up shut.
The place is it?
This scanning electron microscope picture was taken at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where some of the asteroid samples are being studied.
Why is it amazing?
Using scanning electron microscopes and other instruments, scientists have started to map out Bennu’s composition in detail. From their analyses, Bennu seems to be a blend of pre-solar stardust together with natural compounds possible solid in house. This implies that Bennu’s guardian physique was composed of fabric sourced from varied areas, presumably even past our photo voltaic system, earlier than being assembled within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
By microscopically learning Bennu, researchers have additionally been capable of finding that the asteroid’s geology has modified over time on account of interactions with water and ice. Bennu’s ancestor is believed to have contained important quantities of ice, which melted and created chemical reactions that modified its minerals, leading to a chemical composition within the asteroid pattern with 80% water-containing minerals. These processes assist astronomers perceive how asteroids type and the way their supplies — together with attainable components for all times — could change over time earlier than being delivered to Earth by way of impacts.
Need to be taught extra?
You possibly can learn extra in regards to the asteroid Bennu and NASA’s missions to study asteroids.
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