BENNU ASTEROID

Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) disclosed findings from its OSIRIS-REx mission, demonstrating that asteroid Bennu contains significant amounts of carbon and water. This discovery suggests that the fundamental elements for life on Earth are also present on this 4.5-billion-year-old celestial body.

2. Key points

• NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer, conducted a preliminary assessment of the samples collected from asteroid Bennu.
• The OSIRIS-REx science team performed a "quick-look" analysis using various scientific instruments, including scanning electron microscopes, infrared measurements, X-ray diffraction, and chemical element analysis.
• The results of this analysis provided compelling evidence of abundant carbon and water in the samples.

3. About Asteroid Bennu

• Asteroid Bennu, a small near-Earth asteroid, comes into proximity to our planet approximately every six years.
• This asteroid was named by a nine-year-old from North Carolina who won NASA's "Name that Asteroid" competition in 2013.
• Discovered by the NASA-funded Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research team in 1999, Bennu stands as tall as the Empire State Building and orbits at a distance of about 200 million miles from Earth.

 

4. About Asteroids and their Significance 

• Asteroids are rocky objects that orbit the Sun, considerably smaller than planets.
• NASA has identified a staggering 994,383 known asteroids, which are remnants from the solar system's formation over 4.6 billion years ago.
• Scientists conduct extensive studies on asteroids for several reasons. They offer valuable insights into the formation and history of planets and the sun, as asteroids share the same birthdate as other objects in the solar system.
• Additionally, monitoring asteroids is crucial for identifying potential threats from potentially hazardous asteroids.
• Bennu, in particular, has remained relatively unchanged since its formation, preserving ancient chemicals and rocks dating back to the inception of the solar system.
• The analysis of rocks and dust from asteroid Bennu will continue for decades, providing invaluable information about the formation of our solar system.
• It may also shed light on how precursor materials for life could have been delivered to Earth and the precautions necessary to avert asteroid collisions with our planet.

5. Classification of Asteroids

Asteroids are categorized into three classes:

1. Main Belt Asteroids are found in the main asteroid belt situated between Mars and Jupiter, estimated to contain between 1.1-1.9 million asteroids.
2. Trojans are asteroids that share their orbits with larger planets. Jupiter, Neptune, Mars, and even Earth have their respective trojans.
3. Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) have orbits that pass near Earth. Those that cross Earth's path are called Earth-crossers. Out of over 10,000 known NEAs, more than 1,400 are designated as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs).

6. The OSIRIS-REx Mission

• The OSIRIS-REx mission is NASA's first attempt to retrieve a sample from an ancient asteroid.
• It marks the third mission in NASA's New Frontiers Program. The spacecraft returned to Earth on September 24, 2023, carrying material collected from asteroid Bennu.
• The OSIRIS-REx mission seeks to unravel the mysteries of planet formation and the origins of life while enhancing our understanding of asteroids that could pose threats to Earth.

6.1. Mission Timeline

• Launched in 2016, the mission reached its target, Bennu, in 2018.
• It spent several years surveying the asteroid's surface and identifying potential sample collection sites.
• The primary objective was to collect 60 grams of asteroid material from Bennu and return it to Earth for in-depth analysis.

6.2. Intriguing Findings

• While the spacecraft did not land on Bennu, it deposited its samples in the Utah desert.
• Scientists hope that this material will provide insights into whether asteroids colliding with Earth billions of years ago delivered water and other essential ingredients for life.
• This data could revolutionize our understanding of the early history of our planet and the potential for life beyond Earth.