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Bennu

Posted inNews

Asteroid Samples Suggest a Solar System of Ancient, Salty Incubators

by Molly Herring 2 April 20252 April 2025

The discovery of salty mineral evaporites on Ryugu indicates that watery environments may have been widespread in the early solar system.

A top-down view of a metal torus containing black asteroid dust
Posted inNews

Life’s Building Blocks Found in Bennu Samples

Kimberly M. S. Cartier, News Writing and Production Intern for Eos.org by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 29 January 202529 January 2025

The discovery of amino acids, abundant ammonia, and the bases of DNA and RNA on asteroid Bennu suggest that materials essential to life might be widespread throughout the solar system.

A time-lapse of images taken by OSIRIS-REx during its touch-and-go maneuver, with the spacecraft arm centered in this video.
Posted inNews

There and Back Again: Asteroid Samples Return to Earth

Kimberly M. S. Cartier, News Writing and Production Intern for Eos.org by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 21 September 202325 September 2023

OSIRIS-REx will help reveal Bennu’s detailed carbon chemistry and history of space weathering and unlock a key piece of the solar system’s early history.

Gloved hands hold a dark chunk of rock, a part of the Aguas Zarcas meteorite.
Posted inNews

Tiny “Pancakes” Suggest Some Asteroids May Stay Active

Damond Benningfield, Science Writer by Damond Benningfield 22 September 202222 September 2022

Analysis of a meteorite that fell in Costa Rica shows that its parent body may resemble the asteroid Bennu.

Flaky rock particles leak into space from the over-filled sampling device on OSIRIS-REx in this series of black and white images.
Posted inScience Updates

A Time Capsule from the Early Solar System Is En Route to Earth

by C. W. V. Wolner 4 August 20224 August 2022

After an exciting encounter with asteroid Bennu, the OSIRIS-REx mission team looks forward to hitting pay dirt when a hefty sample of ancient planetesimal material is delivered to Earth next year.

Image showing particles being ejected from the asteroid Bennu on 6 January 2019
Posted inEditors' Vox

Up Close with an Active Asteroid

by Catherine W. V. Wolner, C. W. Hergenrother and D. S. Lauretta 9 September 20202 February 2022

A new journal special collection investigates the ejection of particles from the asteroid Bennu and the implications of these observations for asteroid science.

Grayscale image of asteroid Bennu with large bolder
Posted inNews

Location, Location, Location: The How-to’s of Asteroid Sampling

Kimberly M. S. Cartier, News Writing and Production Intern for Eos.org by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 12 December 20197 December 2022

Finding the right spot to grab a sample of Bennu was more of a challenge than the OSIRIS-REx team had originally planned.

A jet of particles being ejected from Bennu
Posted inNews

Asteroid Visited by Mission Spews Rocks into Space

Kimberly M. S. Cartier, News Writing and Production Intern for Eos.org by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 22 March 201915 February 2022

Mission scientists observed 11 separate particle ejection events in a 1-month period. They are still trying to figure out what could be causing the particle plumes.

A high-resolution image of Bennu taken on approach
Posted inNews

All About Bennu: A Rubble Pile with a Lot of Surprises

Kimberly M. S. Cartier, News Writing and Production Intern for Eos.org by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 21 March 201915 February 2022

Asteroid Bennu has been under close scrutiny since December. Here are six key results from the first few months of data from OSIRIS-REx.

Posted inEditors' Vox

To Bennu and Back

by J. Filiberto 21 October 201624 October 2022

Justin Filiberto shares his experience as a guest at the OSIRIS-REx launch; a mission to obtain samples from the asteroid Bennu in hopes of learning more about the origin of water on Earth.

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