Osiris-rex bennu asteroid

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission collected samples from asteroid Bennu, a carbon-rich body that may hold clues about the origin of life.

About this subject

Asteroid Bennu, officially designated 101955 Bennu, is a near-Earth B-type asteroid discovered in 1999 by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research team. About 500 meters in diameter, Bennu orbits the Sun every 437 days and approaches Earth every six years. Its carbonaceous composition (C spectral type) contains organic materials and water, making it a fossil of the early solar system. The OSIRIS-REx mission (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) launched on September 8, 2016, aiming to map the asteroid and collect a surface sample. Contact with Bennu occurred between 2018 and 2020, culminating in the collection of about 250 grams of regolith on October 20, 2020. The return capsule landed in the Utah desert on September 24, 2023, and samples are now being analyzed worldwide. Bennu is also classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid, with a small impact probability in the 22nd century. Mission data help scientists understand asteroid formation, the evolution of small bodies, and the role of organic compounds in the origin of life. The tilt-shift miniature technique, perhaps applied to the image, creates an illusion that the scene is a miniature model, but the real Bennu is a complex and real world.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the acronym OSIRIS-REx stand for?

Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer. It is a NASA mission to collect samples from asteroid Bennu.

Why is asteroid Bennu important to science?

Bennu is a carbonaceous asteroid rich in organic matter and water, potentially offering clues about the formation of the solar system and the origin of life on Earth.

When did the Bennu sample return to Earth?

The sample capsule landed in the Utah desert, United States, on September 24, 2023.