NASA places asteroid Bennu beneath the microscope

When you purchase by means of hyperlinks on our articles, Future and its syndication companions could earn a fee.

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 probably understanding the origins of life.

To research 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 3rd of a mile (or 500 meters) huge at its center, Bennu is stuffed with carbon-bearing compounds and minerals that shaped over 4.6 billion years in the past. According to NASA, Bennu could have shaped in the principle asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter earlier than drifting nearer to Earth.

Approximately 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 check the chemistry, geology and historical past of the asteroid up shut.

Where is it?

This scanning electron microscope picture was taken at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the place a few of the asteroid samples are being studied.

Why is it superb?

Using scanning electron microscopes and different devices, scientists have began to map out Bennu’s composition intimately. From their analyses, Bennu appears to be a blend of pre-solar stardust together with natural compounds seemingly cast in house. This means that Bennu’s father or mother physique was composed of fabric sourced from varied areas, probably even past our solar 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 through the years because 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 kind and the way their supplies — together with potential substances for all times — could change over time earlier than being delivered to Earth by way of impacts.

Want to be taught extra?

You can learn extra concerning the asteroid Bennu and NASA’s missions to study asteroids.