Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
In 2016, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx launched toward Bennu, a mysterious asteroid rich in secrets.
Credit: NASA
After a two-year journey, the spacecraft scouted Bennu for a safe place to collect samples.
Credit: NASA
On October 20, 2020, OSIRIS-REx successfully gathered pieces of Bennu’s rocky surface.
Credit: NASA
The sample capsule touched down on Earth on September 24, 2023, seven years post-launch.
Credit: NASA
Initial analysis revealed Bennu once had water flowing through its rocky interior.
Sara Russell’s study highlighted Bennu’s rocks as unlike anything seen on Earth before.
Credit: NASA
Russell noted the absence of chondrules, destroyed by the asteroid’s watery alteration.
Chondrules, essential to planet formation, were absent, hinting at Bennu’s unique evolution.
Representative pic
Scientists observed Bennu’s rotation is accelerating, shortening its day by one second every century.
Credit: NASA
Bennu’s mysteries, from unique rocks to water traces, offer clues to planetary formation and evolution.
Credit: NASA