OSIRIS-REx mission recently arrived at its destination, asteroid Bennu. On approach, data from the spacecraft’s spectrometers revealed chemical signatures of water trapped in clay minerals.  While Bennu itself is too small to have ever hosted liquid water, the finding indicates that liquid water was present at some time on Bennu’s parent body, a much larger asteroid.

This is a 3D detailed shape model of Bennu, which is very similar to NASA’s ground-based observations of Bennu’s shape.  One change from the original shape model is the size of the large boulder near Bennu’s south pole, nicknamed “Benben.” The boulder is much bigger than scientists thought and overall, the quantity of boulders on the surface is higher than expected. Now the team will make further observations at closer ranges to more accurately assess where a sample can be taken on Bennu to later be returned to Earth.

Watch: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=PAgBCmJYEWo

Info: 
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2018/osiris-rex-debuts-new-bennu-images

Advertisement