Introducing Asteroid Bennu: Unraveling the Truth about the Captivating Space Rock

2023-09-22 18:35:28

Asteroid Bennu: Facts about the mysterious space rock

Throughout the past seven years, a NASA spacecraft has embarked on a 4.4 billion-mile journey into deep space to reach Bennu, an asteroid comparable in size to the Empire State Building. The robot maneuvered around the asteroid to uncover its secrets through extended observation.

On September 24, scientists will take a significant leap forward in understanding Bennu. The spacecraft, rapidly approaching Earth, will release a capsule containing rock and dirt samples collected from the asteroid's surface in 2020. The sample will travel 63,000 miles through space, approximately one-third of the distance from Earth to the moon, before penetrating Earth's atmosphere and landing in a Utah desert. A recovery team will then transport it to a laboratory.

How big is asteroid Bennu?

Bennu measures slightly over 1,600 feet in width, roughly equivalent to the height of the Empire State Building. This carbon-rich space rock resembles a droplet shape and is composed of loosely held boulders, remnants of a larger asteroid that didn't survive a collision billions of years ago. Dante Lauretta, the team's principal scientist at the University of Arizona, describes it as a small mountain floating in outer space.

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What does the name 'Bennu' mean?

Bennu, an asteroid orbiting near Earth, obtained its name in 1999 and is derived from an ancient Egyptian bird deity. In 2013, Michael Puzio, a third-grade student, won a contest organized by NASA to name the asteroid. However, the scientists working on the OSIRIS-Rex mission have given it an additional nickname – "the trickster asteroid" – due to the multitude of surprises it has sprung on them. From unexpected massive boulders to the asteroid's peculiar response when touched by the spacecraft, Bennu continues to amaze.

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When will Bennu hit Earth?

NASA reassures that Bennu doesn't pose an immediate threat to Earth, and no collision warnings have been issued for this asteroid or any others. Although the asteroid has a "close approach" to Earth every six years, its distance of approximately 200 million miles makes the likelihood of impact minimal. Scientists have calculated a 1-in-1,750 chance of Bennu colliding with Earth through the year 2300, with September 24, 2182, being the most significant date in terms of potential impact, having a probability of 1-in-2,700, or less than 0.04 percent. Despite the low risk, Bennu and another asteroid, 1950 DA, are considered the two most hazardous known asteroids in the solar system.

Why get a sample of Bennu?

Bennu was chosen for this mission due to its abundant carbon content, which holds the potential chemical origins of life. Mineral fragments within the asteroid may predate the solar system. Comprehending Bennu's composition could aid future attempts to divert the asteroid if necessary, despite its minimal chances of colliding with Earth in the next century. Furthermore, Bennu's orbit occasionally intersects with Earth's, making it a convenient target compared to other asteroids.

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