101955 Bennu

Carbonaceous Apollo asteroid March 2024 3 yes #FFC2E0 101955 Bennu ' b ɛ n u:Bennu Bennu Bennu mosaic OSIRIS-REx (square).png Grey asteroid Mosaic image of Bennu after two years of observation by OSIRIS-REx LINEAR 11 September 1999 Lincoln Lab's ETS (101955) Bennu ApolloNEOPHArisk listed 1999 RQ 36 1 January 2011 (JD 2455562.5) 0 21.06 yr (7693 days) 1.3559 au Gm on on 0.8969 au Gm on 1.1264 au Gm on 0.2038 1.1955 yr (436.65 d) 28.0 km/s mph on 6.0349° 2.0609° 101.7039° 0.82446 ms / day 66.2231° 0.0032228 au km on 0.194 au km on 0.168 au km on 3.877 au Gm on 5.525 0.21145 5.0415° 301.1345 565 x 535 x 508 m (1854 x 1755 x 1667 ft) 245.03 0.08 m (804 0.262 ft) 282.37 0.06 m (926.4 0.197 ft) 249.25 0.06 m (817.74 0.197 ft) 0.0615 0.0001 km3 0.782 0.004 km2 (0.302 0.002 mi2) 7.329 0.009 10 kg 6.27 micro-g Barnouin O.S. 19 March 2019 Shape of (101955) Bennu indicative of a rubble pile with internal stiffness Nature Geoscience 12 4 247–252 10.1038/s41561-019-0330-x 31080497 6505705 2019NatGe..12..247B (61.5 μm/s2) 20 cm/s 1.190 .013 g/cm3 177.6 0.11° +85.65 0.12° −60.17 0.09° 4.296057 0.000002 h 0.044 0.002 BF 20.9 Kelvin 236 259 279 Fahrenheit -34.6 6.8 42.8 Celsius -37 -14 6 101955 Bennu (provisional designation 1999 RQ 36) is a carbonaceous asteroid in the Apollo group, discovered by the LINEAR Project on 11 September 1999. It is a potentially hazardous object that is listed on the Sentry Risk Table and has the second highest cumulative rating on the Palermo scale. It has a cumulative chance of around 1 in 1,750 of impacting Earth between 2178 and 2290 with the greatest risk being on 24 September 2182. It is named after Bennu, the ancient Egyptian mythological bird associated with the Sun, creation, and rebirth. 101955 Bennu has a mean diameter of 490 m ft mi on and has been observed extensively by the Arecibo Observatory planetary radar and the Goldstone Deep Space Network. Lauretta D.S. 19 March 2019 The unexpected surface of asteroid (101955) Bennu Nature 568 7750 55–60 10.1038/s41586-019-1033-6 30890786 6557581 2019Natur.568...55L Bennu was the target of the OSIRIS-REx mission that returned samples of the asteroid to Earth.Corum Jonathan NASA Launches the Osiris-Rex Spacecraft to Asteroid Bennu https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/09/08/science/space/nasa-osiris-rex-launch.html 8 September 2016 The New York Times 9 September 2016Chang Kenneth The Osiris-Rex Spacecraft Begins Chasing an Asteroid https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/science/nasa-launches-osiris-rex-spacecraft-to-retrieve-asteroid-pieces.html 8 September 2016 The New York Times 9 September 2016 The spacecraft, launched in September 2016, arrived at the asteroid two years later and mapped its surface in detail, seeking potential sample collection sites. Analysis of the orbits allowed calculation of Bennu's mass and its distribution.https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/welcome-to-bennu Welcome to Bennu! Plait Phil 2018-12-04 SYFY Wire en 2018-12-05 In October 2020, OSIRIS-REx briefly touched down and collected a sample of the asteroid's surface.Chang Kenneth 20 October 2020 Seeking Solar System's Secrets, NASA's OSIRIS-REX Mission Touches Bennu Asteroid The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/science/osiris-rex-mission.html 12 February 2021Hautaluoma Grey Johnson Alana Jones Nancy Neal Morton Erin 29 October 2020 Release 20-109 NASA's OSIRIS-REx Successfully Stows Sample of Asteroid Bennu NASA https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-osiris-rex-successfully-stows-sample-of-asteroid-bennu 30 October 2020Chang Kenneth 29 October 2020 NASA's Asteroid Mission Packs Away Its Cargo. Next Stop: Earth. The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/29/science/nasa-osirix-rex-mission.html 12 February 2021 A capsule containing the sample was returned and landed on Earth in September 2023, with distribution and analysis of the sample ongoing.Miller Katrina A NASA Spacecraft Comes Home With an Asteroid Gift for Earth – The seven-year OSIRIS-REX mission ended on Sunday [9/23/2023] with the return of regolith from the asteroid Bennu, which might hold clues about the origins of our solar system and life. + comment https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/24/science/nasa-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-landing.html#permid=127970460 24 September 2023 The New York Times live https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20230925140936/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/24/science/nasa-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-landing.html#permid=127970460 25 September 2023 25 September 2023Chang Kenneth 10 May 2021 Bye-Bye, Bennu: NASA Heads Back to Earth With Asteroid Stash in Tow – The OSIRIS-REX mission will spend two years cruising home with space rock samples that could unlock secrets of the early solar system. The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/10/science/nasa-osiris-rex-asteroid.html 11 May 2021Dunn 10 May 2021 NASA spacecraft begins 2-year trip home with asteroid rubble WJHL https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/nasa-spacecraft-begins-2-year-trip-home-with-asteroid-rubble/ 10 May 2021 Marcia https://web.archive.org/web/20211130235359/https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/nasa-spacecraft-begins-2-year-trip-home-with-asteroid-rubble/ 30 November 2021 dead On 15 May 2024, an overview of preliminary analytical studies on the returned samples was reported. Discovery and observation thumb|left|upright=0.45|Series of Goldstone radar images in 1999 showing Bennu's rotation Bennu was discovered on 11 September 1999 during a Near-Earth asteroid survey by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR). The asteroid was given the provisional designation 1999 RQ 36 and classified as a near-Earth asteroid.All That is Known About Bennu https://www.planetary.org/articles/20140917-all-that-is-known-about-bennu 2023-09-28 The Planetary Society en Bennu was observed extensively by the Arecibo Observatory and the Goldstone Deep Space Network using radar imaging as Bennu closely approached Earth on 23 September 1999. Naming The name Bennu was selected from more than eight thousand student entries from dozens of countries around the world who entered a "Name that Asteroid!" contest run by the University of Arizona, The Planetary Society, and the LINEAR Project in 2012. Third-grade student Michael Puzio from North Carolina proposed the name in reference to the Egyptian mythological bird Bennu. To Puzio, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft with its extended TAGSAM arm resembled the Egyptian deity, which is typically depicted as a heron. Its features are named after birds and bird-like creatures in mythology.2020-03-06 First Official Names Given to Features on Asteroid Bennu NASA https://www.nasa.gov/missions/first-official-names-given-to-features-on-asteroid-bennu/ 2025-10-22 en-US Physical characteristics thumb|Animation of Bennu rotating, imaged by OSIRIS-REx in December 2018.|left Bennu has a roughly spheroidal shape, resembling a spinning top. Bennu's axis of rotation is tilted 178 degrees to its orbit; the direction of rotation about its axis is retrograde with respect to its orbit. While the initial ground based radar observations indicated that Bennu had a fairly smooth shape with one prominent 10 – 20 m boulder on its surface, high resolution data obtained by OSIRIS-REx revealed that the surface is much rougher with more than 200 boulders larger than 10 m on the surface, the largest of which is 58 m across. The boulders contain veins of high albedo carbonate minerals believed to have formed prior to the formation of the asteroid due to hot water channels on the much larger parent body. Voosen P NASA mission set to sample carbon-rich asteroid Science 370 6513 158 2020 10.1126/science.370.6513.158 33033199 2020Sci...370..158V 222237648 Kaplan H. H. Lauretta D. S. Simon A. A. Eno H. L. Bright carbonate veins on asteroid (101955) Bennu: Implications for aqueous alteration history Science 370 6517 eabc3557 2020 10.1126/science.abc3557 33033155 2020Sci...370.3557K 222236463 The veins range from 3 to 15 centimeters wide, and can be over one meter in length, much bigger than carbonate veins seen in meteorites. An analysis published in 2026 of "spacecraft observations revealed that Bennu is blanketed by boulders of differing physical properties" and implying "cracks in rocks resulting from geological processes within the parent body or, more recently, micrometeoroid impacts and thermal fatigue".Ryan A. J. Ballouz R.-L. Macke R. J. Ishizaki T. Alasli A. Biele J. Eckley S. A. Hoover C. G. Jardine K. King A. J. Opeil C. P. Pajola M. Tusberti F. Barnes J. J. Bates H. C. 2026-03-17 Low thermal inertia of carbonaceous asteroid Bennu driven by cracks observed in returned samples Nature Communications en 17 1 2443 10.1038/s41467-026-68505-1 free 41844589 12996602 2026NatCo..17.2443R 2041-1723 There is a well-defined ridge along the equator of Bennu. The presence of this ridge suggests that fine-grained regolith particles have accumulated in this area, possibly because of its low gravity and fast rotation (about once every 4.3 hours). Observation by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has shown that Bennu is rotating faster over time. This change in Bennu's rotation is caused by the Yarkovsky–O'Keefe–Radzievskii–Paddack effect. Due to the uneven emission of thermal radiation from its surface as Bennu rotates in sunlight, the rotation period of Bennu decreases by about 1 second every 100 years. Observations of this minor planet by the Spitzer Space Telescope in 2007 gave an effective diameter of 484 10 m, which is in line with other studies. It has a low visible geometric albedo of 0.046 0.005. The thermal inertia was measured and found to vary by approximately 19% during each rotational period. It was based on this observation that scientists (incorrectly) estimated a moderate regolith grain size, ranging from several millimeters up to a centimeter, evenly distributed. No emission from a potential dust coma has been detected around Bennu, which puts a limit of 106 g of dust within a radius of 4750 km. Astrometric observations between 1999 and 2013 have demonstrated that 101955 Bennu is influenced by the Yarkovsky effect, causing the semimajor axis of its orbit to drift on average by 284 1.5 meters/year. Analysis of the gravitational and thermal effects has given a bulk density of ρ = 1190 13 kg/m3, which is only slightly denser than water. Therefore, the predicted macroporosity is 40 10%, suggesting the interior has a rubble pile structure or even hollows.Scheeres D.J. Heterogeneous mass distribution of the rubble-pile asteroid (101955) Bennu Science Advances 8 October 2020 6 41 eabc3350 10.1126/sciadv.abc3350 33033036 7544499 2020SciA....6.3350S free The estimated mass is 7.329 0.009 10 kg. The sample of Bennu revealed that some of the makings of living things are present on Bennu.Taveau Jessica 29 January 2025 NASA's Asteroid Bennu Sample Reveals Mix of Life's Ingredients https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-asteroid-bennu-sample-reveals-mix-of-lifes-ingredients/ NASA 30 January 2025 Photometry and spectroscopy Photometric observations of Bennu in 2005 yielded a synodic rotation period of 4.2905 0.0065 h. It has a B-type classification, which is a sub-category of carbonaceous asteroids. Polarimetric observations show that Bennu belongs to the rare F subclass of carbonaceous asteroids, which is usually associated with cometary features. Measurements over a range of phase angles showed a phase function slope of 0.040 magnitudes per degree, which is similar to other near-Earth asteroids with low albedo. Before OSIRIS-REx, spectroscopy indicated a correspondence with the CI and/or CM carbonaceous chondrite meteorites,King A. Solomon J. Schofield P. Russell S. Characterising the CI and CI-like carbonaceous chondrites using thermogravimetric analysis and infrared spectroscopy Earth, Planets and Space Dec 2015 67 1989 198 2015EP&S...67..198K 10.1186/s40623-015-0370-4 31 August 2026 free 10141/622224 freeTakir D. Emery J. Hibbits C. 3-μm Spectroscopy of Water-Rich Meteorites and Asteroids: New Results and Implications Hayabusa Symposium 2017 2017Bates H. Hanna K. King A. Bowles N. Thermal Infrared Spectra of Heated CM and C2 Chondrites and Implications for Asteroid Sample Return Missions Hayabusa Symposium 2018 2018 https://curation.isas.jaxa.jp/symposium/abstract/2018/1206_1545_Helena_Bates.pdf including carbonaceous-chondrite mineral magnetite.Mason B. Meteorites 1962 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York and London 60 an important constituent in many of the carbonaceous chondrites 468300914Takir D. Emery J. McSween H. Hibbits C. Clark R. Pearson N. Wang A. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 2013 Nature and degree of aqueous alteration in CM and CI carbonaceous chondrites 48 9 1618 10.1111/maps.12171 2013M&PS...48.1618T 129003587 free Magnetite, a spectrally prominentKing A. Schofield P. Russell S. Type 1 aqueous alteration in CM carbonaceous chondrites: Implications for the evolution of water-rich asteroids 2017 Meteoritics & Planetary Science 52 6 1197 10.1111/maps.12872 2017M&PS...52.1197K small amounts of opaque phases (e.g., magnetite, Fe-sulfides) known to ...have a large effect on the overall spectral shape free 10141/622203 free water productKerridge J. Mackay A. Boynton W. 9916605 Science 27 Jul 1979 Magnetite in CI Carbonaceous Meteorites: Origin by Aqueous Activity on a Planetesimal Surface https://archive.org/details/sim_science_1979-07-27_205_4404/page/395 205 4404 395–397 10.1126/science.205.4404.395 17790849 1979Sci...205..395KBrearley A. Meteorites and the Early Solar System II University of Arizona Press Tucson 978-0-8165-2562-1 587 The Action of Water 2006Rubin A. Li Y. Geochemistry Dec 2019 Formation and destruction of magnetite in CO3 chondrites and other chondrite groups 79 4 125528 10.1016/j.chemer.2019.07.009 2019ChEG...79l5528R 201224827 but destroyed by heat, is an important proxy of astronomersYang B. Jewitt D. 724871 Identification of Magnetite in B-type asteroids 2010 Astronomical Journal 140 3 692 10.1088/0004-6256/140/3/692 1006.5110 2010AJ....140..692Y "evidence of water ice" "an important product of parent-body aqueous alteration"Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society 2017 (LPI Contrib. No. 1987) Kita J. Defouilloy C. Goodrich C. Zolensky M. O. isotope ratios of magnetite in CI-like clasts from a polymict ureilite 2017 https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/metsoc2017/pdf/6153.pdf "ratios of magnetite are of special interest because..."Cloutis E. Hiroi T. Gaffey M. Alexander C. Mann P. Icarus 2011 Spectral Reflectance Properties of carbonaceous chondrites: 1. CI chondrites 212 1 180 10.1016/j.icarus.2010.12.009 2011Icar..212..180C including OSIRIS-REx staff.Clark B. Binzel R. Howell E Ellen Howell Cloutis E. Ockert-Bell M. Christensen P. Barucci M. DeMeo F. Lauretta D. Connolly H. Soderberg A. Alicia M. Soderberg Hergenrother C. Lim L. Emery J. Mueller M. Icarus 2011 Asteroid (101955) 1999 RQ36: Spectroscopy from 0.4 to 2.4 μm and meteorite analogs 216 2 462 10.1016/j.icarus.2011.08.021 2011Icar..216..462C Water According to Dante Lauretta,Miller Katrina Life After Asteroid Bennu – Dante Lauretta, the planetary scientist who led the OSIRIS-REx mission to retrieve a handful of space dust, discusses his next final frontier. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/science/astronomy-asteroid-bennu-osiris-lauretta.html 22 March 2024 The New York Times live https://archive.today/20240322110628/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/science/astronomy-asteroid-bennu-osiris-lauretta.html 22 March 2024 22 March 2024 OSIRIS-REx Principal Investigator, "Bennu appears to be a very water-rich target, and water is the most interesting and perhaps the most lucrative commodity that you would mine from an asteroid".https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/10/18134714/bennu-water-evidence-nasa-osiris-rex NASA's latest asteroid target had a wet and wild history TheVerge.com 10 December 2018 19 September 2023http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12658 OSIRIS-REx Arrives at Bennu – 2018 AGU Press Conference NASA 10 December 2018 31 December 2020 Predicted beforehand,Stolte D. 7 Questions for Dante Lauretta, Leader of UA's Biggest Space Mission https://news.arizona.edu/story/7-questions-for-dante-lauretta-leader-of-ua-s-biggest-space-mission 31 December 2020 9 January 2014 "We think Bennu is a water-rich asteroid" Dante Lauretta (University of Arizona) reiterates that Bennu is water-rich already detectable while OSIRIS-REx was still technically in approach.Lauretta D. OSIRIS-REx Explores Asteroid Bennu https://mediastream.ndc.nasa.gov/Public3/webvid/SCI/2019/GSFC-2019-SCI-0925/default.html 31 December 2020 25 September 2019 NASA water-rich asteroid https://web.archive.org/web/20210318065745/https://mediastream.ndc.nasa.gov/Public3/webvid/SCI/2019/GSFC-2019-SCI-0925/default.html 18 March 2021 dead Preliminary spectroscopic surveys of the asteroid's surface by OSIRIS-REx confirmed magnetite and the meteorite-asteroid linkage, https://eos.org/articles/all-about-bennu-a-rubble-pile-with-a-lot-of-surprises All About Bennu: A Rubble Pile with a Lot of Surprises Cartier Kimberly M. S. eos.org EOS Planetary Sciences 21 March 2019 In terms of spectra and minerology, Bennu's rocks 'look a lot like the rarest, most fragile meteorites in our collection,' Lauretta said, referring to the CM carbonaceous chondrites Hamilton V.E. Simon A.A. 2019 Evidence for widespread hydrated minerals on asteroid (101955) Bennu Nature Astronomy 3 4 332–340 10.1038/s41550-019-0722-2 31360777 6662227 2019NatAs...3..332H 1721.1/124501Lauretta D. The unexpected surface of asteroid (101955) Bennu Nature 4 Apr 2019 568 7750 55–60 10.1038/s41586-019-1033-6 30890786 6557581 2019Natur.568...55L "This finding is in agreement with pre-encounter measurements and consistent with CI and CM chondrites." dominated by phyllosilicates.NASA's Newly Arrived OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Already Discovers Water on Asteroid 11 December 2018 NASA https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-newly-arrived-osiris-rex-spacecraft-already-discovers-water-on-asteroid https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181210150554.htm Water found on asteroid, confirming Bennu as excellent mission target 10 December 2018 10 December 2018 Science DailyLauretta D. Welcome to Bennu Press Conference – First Mission Science Results YouTube 12 December 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaPHXXZTkAU https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/qaPHXXZTkAU 2021-12-15 live 24 Jul 2019 "Report Card" at 25:15 Phyllosilicates, among others, hold water.Feierberg M. Lebofsky L. Tholen D. The nature of C-class asteroids from 3u spectrophotometry Icarus 1985 63 2 191 10.1016/0019-1035(85)90002-8 1985Icar...63..183FSears D. The Origin of Chondrules and Chondrites 2004 Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-40285-0August 2021Russell Sara S. Ballentine Chris J. Grady Monica M. The origin, history and role of water in the evolution of the inner Solar System Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 17 April 2017 375 2094 20170108 10.1098/rsta.2017.0108 28416731 5394259 Water in chondrites is contained within clay minerals, with H2O accounting for up to 10% weight percent...water is also stored in chondrites in direct liquid form as inclusions 2017RSPTA.37570108R Bennu's water spectra were detectable on approach,Kaplan H. Hamilton V. Howell E. Ellen Howell Anderson S. Barrucci M. Brucato J. Burbine T. Clark B. Cloutis E. Connolly H. Dotto E. Emery J. Fornasier S. Lantz C. Lim L. Merlin F. Praet A. Reuter D. Sandford S. Simon A. Takir D. Lauretta D. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 2020 Visible-near infrared spectral indices for mapping mineralogy and chemistry with OSIRIS-REx 55 4 744–765 10.1111/maps.13461 2020M&PS...55..744K 216247217 https://hal.science/hal-03262669 reviewed by outside scientists,Potin S. Beck P. Usui F. Bonal L. Vernazza P. Schmidtt B. Icarus Sep 2020 Style and intensity of hydration among C-complex asteroids: A comparison to desiccated carbonaceous chondrites 348 113826 10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113826 2004.09872 2020Icar..34813826P 216036128Bates H. King A. Donaldson-Hanna K. Bowles N. Russell S. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 19 Nov 2019 Linking mineralogy and spectroscopy of highly aqueously altered CM and CI carbonaceous chondrites in preparation for primitive asteroid sample return 55 1 77–101 10.1111/maps.13411 "observations of primitive, water‐rich asteroids" free 10141/622636 free then confirmed from orbit.Hamilton V. Simon A. Kaplan H. Christensen P. Reuter D. DellaGiustina D. Haberle C. Hanna R. Brucato J. Praet A. Glotch T. Rogers A. Connolly H. McCoy T. Emery J. Howell E Ellen Howell Barucci M. Clark B. Lauretta D. 51st LPSC Mar 2020 VNIR and TIR spectral characteristics of (101955) Bennu from OSIRIS-REx Detailed Survey and Reconnaissance Observations 1049 OVIRS Results https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2020/pdf/1049.pdfPraet A. Barucci M. Kaplan H. Merlin F. Clark B. Simon A. Hamilton V. Emery J. Howell E. Ellen Howell Lim L. 51st LPSC Mar 2020 Estimated hydration of Bennu's surface from OVIRS observations by the OSIRIS-REx mission https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020LPI....51.1058P/abstract 1058 2020LPI....51.1058PSimon A.A. Kaplan H.H. Hamilton V.E. Lauretta D.S. Campins H. Emery J.P. Barucci M.A. DellaGiustina D. N Reuter D.C. Sandford S.A. Golish D.R. Lim L.F. Ryan A. Rozitis B. Bennett C.A. Science 8 Oct 2020 Widespread carbon-bearing materials on near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu 370 6517 eabc3522 10.1126/science.abc3522 33033153 2020Sci...370.3522S 222236203 http://oro.open.ac.uk/73157/1/Simon_et_al_2020_accepted.pdf "water-rich, similar to the CM class of chondrites" OSIRIS-REx observations have resulted in a (self-styled) conservative estimate of about 7 × 108 kg water in one form alone, neglecting additional forms. This is a water content of ~1 wt.%, and potentially much more. In turn this suggests transient pockets of water beneath Bennu's regolith. The surficial water may be lost from the collected samples. However, if the sample return capsule maintains low temperatures, the largest (centimeter-scale) fragments may contain measurable quantities of adsorbed water, and some fraction of Bennu's ammonium compounds.Nuth, III J. Abreu N. Ferguson F. Glavin D. Hergenrother C. Hill H. Johnson N. Pajola M. Walsh K. Planetary Science Journal Dec 2020 Volatile-rich Asteroids in the Inner Solar System 1 3 82 10.3847/PSJ/abc26a 2020PSJ.....1...82N free A separate estimate, including other forms of water storage, is 6.2 wt%.Osinski G. Feasibility Of Mining Bennu https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1581&context=usri 22 August 2023 In 2023, NASA and university sample facilities were preparing to secure, study, and curate the sample, predicted to be rich in water and organic compounds.Kurokawa H. Shibuya T. Sekine Y. Ehlmann B.L. Usui F. Kikuchi S. Yoda M. Jan 2022 Distant Formation and Differentiation of Outer Main Belt Asteroids and Carbonaceous Chondrite Parent Bodies AGU Advances 3 1 e2021AV000568 10.1029/2021AV000568 2112.10284 2022AGUA....300568K 245302669Montoya M. Plummer J. Martinez S. III Snead C.J. Lunning N. Righter K. Allums K. Rodriguez M. Funk R.C. Connelly W. Gonzalez C. Calva C. Ferrodous J. Lugo G. Hernandez Gomez N. Connolly H.C. Jr. 2023 Materials-Compliant Containers in Preparation for OSIRIS-REx Sample Return 86th Meteoritical Society Meeting 6050Prince B.S. Zega T.J. Connolly H.C. Jr. Lauretta D.S. 2023 Developing Fluid Inclusion Analysis Techniques in Anticipation of OSIRIS-REx Sample Return 86th MetSoc 6155 The German SAL (Sample Analysis Laboratory) was also preparing to receive cosmochemical water from Ryugu, Bennu, and other airless bodies.Bonato E. Helbert J. Schwinger S. Maturilli A. Greshake A. Hecht L. 2023 The Sample Analysis Laboratory At DLR And Its Extension To Curation Facility for MMX 86th MetSoc 6035 Asteroidal water 162173 Ryugu#Water Activity Bennu is an active asteroid,Connolly H. Jawin E. Ballouz R. Walsh K. McCoy T. Dellagiustina D. OSIRIS-REx sample science and the geology of active asteroid Bennu 82nd Meteoritical Society Meeting 2019 2157 2019LPICo2157.6209C https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019LPICo2157.6209C/abstractLim L. OSIRIS-REx update 21st NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group 2019 "Bennu is an Active Asteroid!"Barrucci M. Michel P. Asteroid-Comet continuum: no doubt but many questions 2019 EPSC-DPS conference September 2019 202–1Hergenrother C. Adam C. Antreasian P. Al Asad M. Balram-Knutson S. (101955) Bennu is an active asteroid 2019 EPSC-DPS conference September 2019 852–1 sporadically emitting plumes of particleshttps://www.asteroidmission.org/?mission_update=feb-11-2019 Feb 11, 2019 asteroidmission.org OSIRIS-REx Mission 15 November 2019Hergenrother C. Maleszweski C. Nolan C. Li J. Drouet D'aubigny C. The Operational Environment and Rotational Acceleration of Asteroid (101955) Bennu from OSIRIS-REx Observations Nature Communications 10 1 1291 19 March 2019 10.1038/s41467-019-09213-x free 30890725 6425024 2019NatCo..10.1291H and rocks as large as 10 cm https://www.wired.com/story/no-one-knows-why-rocks-are-exploding-from-asteroid-bennu/ No One Knows Why Rocks Are Exploding From Asteroid Bennu Oberhaus Daniel Wired 5 December 2019 Episodes of particle ejection from the surface of the active asteroid (101955) Bennu D.S. Lauretta C.W. Hergenrother S.R. Chesley J.M. Leonard J.Y. Pelgrift C.D. Adam M. Al Asad 208764910 5 Science 6 December 2019 366 6470 eaay3544 10.1126/science.aay3544 31806784 2019Sci...366.3544L http://oro.open.ac.uk/68479/1/Lauretta_et_al_2019_accepted.pdf free (not dust, defined as tens of micrometers).Definitions of terms in meteor astronomy iau.org International Astronomical Union http://www.iau.org/static/science/scientific_bodies/commissions/f1/meteordefinitions_approved.pdf 31 July 2020 26 July 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200726155425/https://www.iau.org/static/science/scientific_bodies/commissions/f1/meteordefinitions_approved.pdf deadGrun E. Krüger H. Srama R. 208527737 2019 The Dawn of Dust Astronomy Space Science Reviews 215 7 46 10.1007/s11214-019-0610-1 free 1912.00707 2019SSRv..215...46G 3. Multifaceted Scientific Dust Observations Scientists hypothesize the releases may be caused by thermal fracturing, volatile release through dehydration of phyllosilicates, pockets of subsurface water, and/or meteoroid impacts. Before the arrival of OSIRIS-REx, Bennu had displayed polarization consistent with Comet Hale-Bopp and 3200 Phaethon, a rock comet. Bennu, Phaethon, and inactive Manx cometsBoe B. Jedicke R. Wiegert P. Meech K. Morbidelli A. Distinguishing Between Solar System Formation Models with Manxes (or not) September 2019 2019 EPSC-DPS conference 626–2August 2021 are examples of active asteroids.Gounelle M. The Asteroid-Comet Continuum: Evidence from Extraterrestrial Samples 2012 2012 European Planetary Science Congress 220Rickman H. Origin and Evolution of Comets: Ten Years after the Nice Model, One Year after Rosetta 2018 World Scientific Singapore 162–168 Sec. 4.3 Dormancy and Rejuvenation B-type asteroids displaying a blue color in particular, may be dormant comets,Nuth J. Johnson N. Abreu N. Are B-type Asteroids Dormant Comets? https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2019/pdf/3059.pdf March 2019 50th LPSC 2132Schroder S. Poch I. Ferrari M. De Angelis S. Sultana R. Experimental evidence for the nature of Ceres blue material https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2019/EPSC-DPS2019-78-2.pdf Epsc-DPS Joint Meeting 2019 2019 EPSC–DPS2019–78 September 2019 2019 EPSC-DPS conference 2019EPSC...13...78SMarsset M. DeMeo F. Polishook D. Binzel R. Near-infrared spectral variability on the newly active asteroid (6478) Gault Epsc-DPS Joint Meeting 2019 Sep 2019 2019 EPSC-DPS2019-280 2019 EPSC-DPS conference 2019EPSC...13..280MFukai R. Arakawa S. The Astrophysical Journal 2021 Assessment of Cr isotopic heterogeneities of volatile-rich asteroids based on multiple planet formation models 908 1 64 10.3847/1538-4357/abd2b9 2012.05467 2021ApJ...908...64F 228084040 free similar to Ryugu but at an earlier stage.Miura H. Nakamura E. Kunihiro T. The Asteroid 162173 Ryugu: a Cometary Origin The Astrophysical Journal Letters 2022 925 2 15 10.3847/2041-8213/ac4bd5 2022ApJ...925L..15M free Asteroid Bennu ejecting particles horizontal center center PIA23554-AsteroidBennu-EjectingParticles-20190106.jpg 6 January 2019 227 PIA24101-AsteroidBennu-ParticleEjectionEvents.webm Particle trajectories from four 2019 ejection events (video; 0:43) 300 Bennu-Particle-Ejection-Event-20190119.jpg 19 January 2019 232 OSIRIS-REx missionMorton Erin NASA Mission Reveals Asteroid Has Big Surprises https://www.asteroidmission.org/?latest-news=nasa-mission-reveals-asteroid-big-surprises AsteroidMission.org 19 March 2019 19 March 2019Chang Kenneth Stirone Shannon The Asteroid Was Shooting Rocks Into Space. 'Were We Safe in Orbit?' – NASA's Osiris-Rex and Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft reached the space rocks they are surveying last year, and scientists from both teams announced early findings on Tuesday (03/19/2019) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/19/science/bennu-ryugu-asteroids.html 19 March 2019 The New York Times 21 March 2019 Surface features Asteroid Bennu regolith surface horizontal center 2019-02-25 regolith image compilation.png Wide angle shot of the Northern Hemisphere of Bennu, imaged by OSIRIS-REx at an altitude of approximately 1.1 mi km on flip Bennu’s boulder-covered surface 20190411 bennu bird rock 0.png Bennu's regolith-covered surface as imaged by OSIRIS-REx 200 footer 790 OSIRIS-REx landing.jpg The Nightingale sample site imaged by OSIRIS-REx at touchdown. The circular TAGSAM head in the center of the frame is 1 ft m flip in diameter. All geological features on Bennu are named after various species of birds and bird-like figures in mythology. The first features to be named were the final four candidate OSIRIS-REx sample sites, which were given unofficial names by the team in August 2019.https://www.planetary.org/articles/osiris-rex-4-sample-sites OSIRIS-REx Team Picks 4 Candidate Sample Sites on Asteroid Bennu The Planetary Society Jason Davis 15 August 2019 24 May 2021 On 6 March 2020 the IAU announced the first official names for 12 Bennu surface features, including regiones (broad geographic regions), craters, dorsa (ridges), fossae (grooves or trenches) and saxa (rocks and boulders). First Official Names Given to Features on Asteroid Bennu 6 March 2020 AsteroidMission.org NASA https://www.asteroidmission.org/?latest-news=first-official-names-given-to-features-on-asteroid-bennu 6 May 2020 Analysis showed that the particles making up Bennu's exterior are loosely packed and lightly bound to each other; "The spacecraft would have sunk into Bennu had it not fired its thrusters to back away immediately after it grabbed dust and rock from the asteroid's surface."Shekhtman Svetlana NASA Reveals Surface of Asteroid Bennu is Like Plastic Ball Pit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/surprise-again-asteroid-bennu-reveals-its-surface-is-like-a-plastic-ball-pit NASA 4 November 2022 6 July 2022 Analysis also revealed that the Sun's heat fractures rocks on Bennu in just 10,000 to 100,000 years instead of millions of years as was thought before.Steigerwald Bill Some Asteroids 'Aged Early' by Sun, NASA Finds https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/some-asteroids-aged-early-by-sun-nasa-finds NASA 4 November 2022 30 June 2022 Candidate sample sites After a thorough analysis of Bennu's surface by the OSIRIS-REx mission team, using data from both MapCam and OVIRS, four candidate sites were selected for sample collection: Nightingale, Kingfisher, Osprey, and Sandpiper. Among these, Nightingale was ultimately chosen, as it exhibited a stronger spectral reddening compared to the rest of the surface (indicating fresher or less exposed terrain).Rizos J. L. de León J. Licandro J. Golish D. R. Campins H. Tatsumi E. Popescu M. DellaGiustina D. N. Pajola M. Li J. -Y. Becker K. J. Lauretta D. S. 2021-08-01 Bennu's global surface and two candidate sample sites characterized by spectral clustering of OSIRIS-REx multispectral images https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0019103521001482 Icarus 364 114467 10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114467 0019-1035 2104.02435 2021Icar..36414467R Additionally, it successfully passed the safety assessment tests for the spacecraft's descent. + Final four OSIRIS-REx candidate sample sitesCandidate Sample Sites AsteroidMission.org NASA 2019-01-02 https://www.asteroidmission.org/candidate-sample-sites/ Name Location Description Nightingale 56°N 43°E Abundant fine-grained material with a large variation in color. Primary sample collection site. X Marks the Spot: Sample Site Nightingale Targeted for Touchdown https://www.asteroidmission.org/?latest-news=x-marks-the-spot-nasa-selects-site-for-asteroid-sample-collection AsteroidMission.org NASA 2019-12-12 2019-12-28 https://web.archive.org/web/20191212201601/https://www.asteroidmission.org/?latest-news=x-marks-the-spot-nasa-selects-site-for-asteroid-sample-collection 12 December 2019 dead Kingfisher 11°N 56°E A relatively new crater with the highest water signature of all four sites. Osprey 11°N 80°E Located on a low albedo patch with a large variety of rocks. Backup sample collection site. Sandpiper 47°S 322°E Located between two young craters, located in rough terrain. Minerals vary in brightness with hints of hydrated minerals. On 12 December 2019, after a year of mapping Bennu's surface, a target site was announced. Named Nightingale, the area is near Bennu's north pole and lies inside a small crater within a larger crater. Osprey was selected as the backup sample site.thumb|center|upright=3.6|The final four candidate OSIRIS-REx sample sites IAU named features center|thumb|600px|Map of Bennu showing the locations of the IAU-named surface features + Craters Name Coordinates Diameter (m) Approval Date Named After Ref Alicanto 0.08°S 111.93°E 61 18/12/2020 Alicanto, bird from Chilean mythology who has glowing wings due to eating metal ores, which make it incapable of flying 15976 Bralgha 44.36°S 324.99°E 69 18/12/2020 Crane who tossed an egg from Dinewan’s nest into the sky, becoming the Sun 15974 Dinewan 41.4°S 323.7°E 10 18/12/2020 Emu whose egg became the Sun in Australian mythology 15975 Hokioi 55.07°N 41.78°E 28 18/12/2020 Maori bird who was sometimes heard but was never seen 15977 Huhuk 1.12°S 152.3°E 75 18/12/2020 Pawnee thunderbird whose beatings of its wings caused thunder 15972 Lilitu 26.13°S 115.36°E 28 18/12/2020 Mesopotamian demon who took the form of a woman with wings and bird feet 15981 Minokawa 8.79°S 269.1°E 181.1 18/12/2020 Minokawa bird who was believed to be large enough to devour the Sun, which explained solar eclipses 15971 Ohnivak 4.23°S 125.67°E 41 18/12/2020 Czech/Slovak firebird with red, orange, and gold feathers 15973 Pegasus 23.53°N 329.93°E 14 18/12/2020 Pegasus, winged horse in Greek mythology 15982 Sampati 19.02°S 97.34°E 11 18/12/2020 Sampati, demigod from Hindu mythology who takes the form of either an eagle or vulture 15980 Wuchowsen 11.78°N 88.13°E 20 18/12/2020 Giant bird from Algonquian mythology whose name means “Windblower”, which produces wind with its wings 15978 Wututu 17.03°S 84.34°E 13 18/12/2020 Bird who ended a dispute between two gods, ending a great drought 15979 + Regiones Name Coordinates Diameter (m) Approval Date Named After Ref Tlanuwa Regio 37.86°S 261.70°E 301 31/01/2020 Tlanuwa, giant birds from Cherokee mythology 15890 + Saxa Name Coordinates Diameter (m) Approval Date Named After Ref Aellopus Saxum 25.44°N 335.67°E 5.7 26/03/2020 Aello, one of the half-bird half-woman Harpy sisters from Greek mythology 15913 Aetos Saxum 3.46°N 150.36°E 9.1 31/01/2020 Aetos, childhood playmate of the god Zeus who was turned into an eagle from Greek mythology 15888 Amihan Saxum 17.96°S 256.51°E 33 31/01/2020 Amihan, bird deity from Philippine mythology 15887 Benben Saxum 45.86°S 127.59°E 52 31/01/2020 Benben, Ancient Egyptian primordial mound that arose from the primordial waters Nu 15891 Boobrie Saxum 48.08°N 214.28°E 30 26/03/2020 Boobrie, shapeshifting entity from Scottish mythology that often takes the form of a giant water bird 15912 Camulatz Saxum 10.26°S 259.65°E 22 26/03/2020 Camulatz, one of four birds in the K'iche' creation myth in Maya mythology 15909 Celaeno Saxum 18.42°N 335.23°E 8 26/03/2020 Celaeno, one of the half-bird half-woman Harpy sisters from Greek mythology 15914 Ciinkwia Saxum 4.97°S 249.47°E 21 26/03/2020 Ciinkwia, thunder beings from Algonquian mythology that look like giant eagles 15915 Dodo Saxum 32.68°S 64.42°E 27 26/03/2020 Dodo, a dodo bird character from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 15906 Gamayun Saxum 9.86°N 105.45°E 19 26/03/2020 Gamajun, prophetic bird from Slavic mythology 15916 Gargoyle Saxum 4.59°N 92.48°E 18 31/01/2020 Gargoyle, dragon-like monster with wings 15889 Gullinkambi Saxum 18.53°N 17.96°E 31 26/03/2020 Gullinkambi, rooster from Norse mythology that lives in Valhalla 15911 Huginn Saxum 29.77°S 43.25°E 46 31/01/2020 Huginn, one of two ravens that accompany the god Odin in Norse mythology 15883 Kongamato Saxum 5.03°N 66.31°E 19 26/03/2020 Kongamato, giant flying creature from Kaonde mythology 15910 Muninn Saxum 29.34°S 48.68°E 28 31/01/2020 Muninn, one of two ravens that accompany the god Odin in Norse mythology 15884 Ocypete Saxum 25.09°N 328.25°E 5.6 31/01/2020 Ocypete, one of the half-bird half-woman Harpy sisters from Greek mythology 15885 Odette Saxum 44.86°S 291.08°E 19 26/03/2020 Odette, princess that turns into the White Swan in Swan Lake 15907 Odile Saxum 42.74°S 294.08°E 25 26/03/2020 Odile, the Black Swan from Swan Lake 15908 Pouakai Saxum 40.45°S 166.75°E 10.6 11/02/2020 Poukai, monstrous bird from Maori mythology 15895 Roc Saxum 23.46°S 25.36°E 96 31/01/2020 Roc, giant bird of prey from Arabic mythology 15881 Simurgh Saxum 25.32°S 4.05°E 40 31/01/2020 Simurgh, benevolent bird that possesses all knowledge from Iranian mythology 15882 Strix Saxum 25.32°S 4.05°E 5.3 31/01/2020 Strix, bird of ill omen from Classical mythology 15886 Thorondor Saxum 13.40°N 88.26°E 61 26/03/2020 Thorondor, the King of the Eagles in Tolkien's Middle-earth 15905 Origin and evolution The carbonaceous material that composes Bennu came from the breakup of a much larger parent body—a minor planet or a proto-planet. It is thought to be a rubble pile of the second generation or later, formed within the past 65 million years. Like nearly all matter in the Solar System, its atoms were created in dying stars.Bensby T. Feltzing S. 7771039 Sofia Feltzing 2006 The origin and chemical evolution of carbon in the Galactic thin and thick discs Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 367 3 1181–1193 2006MNRAS.367.1181B 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10037.x free https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74854/1/j.1365-2966.2006.10037.x.pdf astro-ph/0601130 According to the accretion theory, this material came together 4.5 billion years ago during the formation of the Solar System. Bennu's basic mineralogy and chemical nature would have been established during the first 10 million years of the Solar System's formation, where the carbonaceous material underwent some geologic heating and chemical transformation inside a much larger minor planet or a proto-planet capable of producing the requisite pressure, heat and hydration (if need be)—into more complex minerals. Bennu probably began in the inner asteroid belt as a fragment from a larger body with a diameter of 100 km. Michel P. Ballouz R.-L. Barnouin O.S. Jutzi M. Walsh K.J. May B.H. Manzoni C. Richardson D.C. Schwartz S.R. Sugita S. Watanabe S. 2020-05-27 Collisional formation of top-shaped asteroids and implications for the origins of Ryugu and Bennu Nature Communications en 11 1 2655 10.1038/s41467-020-16433-z free 32461569 7253434 2020NatCo..11.2655M 2041-1723 Simulations suggest that it came from either the Polana or Eulalia subdivisions of the Nysa–Polana complex, with a 70% chance it came from the Polana family and a 30% chance it derived from the Eulalia family. Impactors on boulders of Bennu indicate that Bennu has been in near Earth orbit (separated from the main asteroid belt) for 1–2.5 million years.Ballouz R. Walsh K. J. Barnouin O. S. Lauretta D. S. Bennu's near-Earth lifetime of 1.75 million years inferred from craters on its boulders Nature 5 587 205–209 2020 10.1038/s41586-020-2846-z 33106686 2020Natur.587..205B 225082141 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03080437/file/BallouzEtAl2020_AuthorVersion.pdf Subsequently, the orbit drifted as a result of the Yarkovsky effect and mean motion resonances with the giant planets, such as Jupiter and Saturn. Various interactions with the planets in combination with the Yarkovsky effect modified the asteroid, possibly changing its spin, shape, and surface features. Cellino et al. have suggested a possible cometary origin for Bennu, based on similarities of its spectroscopic properties with known comets. The estimated fraction of comets in the population of near Earth objects is 8 5 %. This includes rock comet 3200 Phaethon, discovered and still numbered as an asteroid.Hergenrother C. The Strange Life of Asteroid Phaethon – Source of the Geminid Meteors https://dslauretta.com/2013/12/12/the-strange-life-of-asteroid-phaethon-source-of-the-geminid-meteors/ dslauretta.com 25 Jul 2019 12 December 2013 24 March 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190324205753/https://dslauretta.com/2013/12/12/the-strange-life-of-asteroid-phaethon-source-of-the-geminid-meteors/Maltagliati L. 189930305 Cometary Bennu? Nature Astronomy 24 Sep 2018 2 10 761 10.1038/s41550-018-0599-5 2018NatAs...2..761M free Orbit upright=1.6|thumb|Diagram of the orbits of Bennu and the inner planets around the Sun Bennu orbits the Sun with a period of 1.19 years days off 3 2022 y. Earth gets as close as about 480,000 km (0.0032 au) from its orbit around 23 to 25 September. On 22 September 1999 Bennu passed 0.0147 au from Earth, and six years later on 20 September 2005 it passed 0.033 au from Earth. The next close approaches of less than 0.04 au will be 30 September 2054 and then 23 September 2060, which will perturb the orbit slightly. Between the close approach of 1999 and that of 2060, Earth completes 61 orbits and Bennu 51. An even closer approach will occur on 25 September 2135 around 0.0014 au (see table). In the 75 years between the 2060 and 2135 approaches, Bennu completes 64 orbits, meaning its period will have changed to 427 days years off 3 flip. The Earth approach of 2135 will increase the orbital period to about 452 days years off 3 flip. Before the 2135 Earth approach, Bennu will be at its maximum distance from Earth on 27 November 2045 at a distance of 2.34 AU e6km unit. +Bennu approaches less than 0.05AUPosition uncertainty and increasing divergence Date JPL SBDBnominal geocentricdistance (AU) uncertaintyregion(3-sigma)2054-09-30 0.039299 AU e6km unit ±7 km2060-09-23 0.005008 AU e3km unit ±5 km2080-09-22 0.015630 AU e6km unit ±3 thousand km2135-09-25 0.001364 AU e3km unit ±20 thousand km(virtual impactor)2182-09-24 ≈0.3 AU e6km unit 1 (Gravity Simulator) http://orbitsimulator.com/gravitySimulatorCloud/simulations/1629595706133_bennu_2182.html Gravity Simulator Solution for Sept 2182 Dunn Tony 1.1 AU e6km unit (NEODyS) ±370 million km Possible Earth impact On average, an asteroid with a diameter of 500 m ft mi 2 on can be expected to impact Earth about every 130,000 years. A 2010 dynamical study by Andrea Milani and collaborators predicted a series of eight potential Earth impacts by Bennu between 2169 and 2199. The cumulative probability of impact is dependent on physical properties of Bennu that were poorly known at the time, but was found to not exceed 0.071% for all eight encounters. The authors recognized that an accurate assessment of 101955 Bennu's probability of Earth impact would require a detailed shape model and additional observations (either from the ground or from spacecraft visiting the object) to determine the magnitude and direction of the Yarkovsky effect. The publication of the shape model and of astrometry based on radar observations obtained in 1999, 2005, and 2011 made possible an improved estimate of the Yarkovsky acceleration and a revised assessment of the impact probability. In 2014, the best estimate of the impact probability was a cumulative probability of 0.037% in the interval 2175 to 2196. This corresponds to a cumulative rating on the Palermo scale of −1.71. If an impact were to occur, the expected kinetic energy associated with the collision would be 1,200 megatons in TNT equivalent (for comparison, TNT equivalent of Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever tested, was approximately 54 megatons, and that of the Tunguska event, the most energetic impact event in recorded history, has been estimated at 3–5 megatons,https://share.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2007/asteroid.html Sandia supercomputers offer new explanation of Tunguska disaster 17 December 2007 Sandia National Laboratories sandia.gov 22 December 2007 19 February 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130219203913/https://share.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2007/asteroid.html though another estimate is 20–30 megatonsProbabilistic assessment of Tunguska-scale asteroid impacts Icarus 327 83–96 10.1016/j.icarus.2018.12.017 2019 Wheeler Lorien F. Mathias Donovan L. 2019Icar..327...83W free). The 2021 orbit solution extended the virtual impactors from the year 2200 to the year 2300 and slightly increased the cumulative Palermo impact hazard scale rating to −1.42. The solution included the estimated gravitational effect of 343 other asteroids, representing about 90% of the total mass of the main asteroid belt. 2060/2135 close approaches upright=1.36|thumb|right|Animation of 101955 Bennu position relative to the Earth, as both orbit the Sun, in the years 2128 to 2138. 2135 close approach is shown near the end of the animation.RoyalBlue EarthMagenta 101955 Bennu Bennu will pass 0.005 au km mi on from Earth on 23 September 2060, while for comparison the Moon's average orbital distance (lunar distance) is 384,402 km mi on and will only change to 384,404 km in 50 years.January 2025 Bennu will be too dim to be seen with common binoculars. The close approach of 2060 causes divergence in the close approach of 2135. On 25 September 2135, the Earth approach distance is 0.00136 au km mi on ±20 thousand km. There is no chance of an Earth impact in 2135. The 2135 approach will create many lines of variations and Bennu may pass through a gravitational keyhole during the 2135 passage which could create an impact scenario at a future encounter. The keyholes are all less than ~20 km wide with some keyholes being only 5 meters wide. 2182 The most threatening virtual impactor is on Tuesday, 24 September 2182 when there is a 1 in 2,700 chance of an Earth impact, but the asteroid could be as far as the Sun is from Earth. To impact Earth on 24 September 2182 Bennu must pass through a keyhole roughly 5 km wide on 25 September 2135. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103521002591#tbl3 Table 3. Impact dates, keyhole centers and widths in the 2135 B-plane (Farnocchia2021) The table reports the zeta coordinate on the B-plane, which is not the same thing as the miss distance during the 2135 encounter. The next two biggest risks occur in 2187 (1:14,000) and 2192 (1:26,000). There is a cumulative 1 in 1,800 chance of an Earth impact between 2178 and 2290. Long term Lauretta et al. reported in 2015 their results of a computer simulation, concluding that it is more likely that 101955 Bennu will be destroyed by some other cause: The orbit of Bennu is intrinsically dynamically unstable, as are those of all NEOs. In order to glean probabilistic insights into the future evolution and likely fate of Bennu beyond a few hundred years, we tracked 1,000 virtual "Bennus" for an interval of 300 Myr with the gravitational perturbations of the planets Mercury–Neptune included. Our results ... indicate that Bennu has a 48% chance of falling into the Sun. There is a 10% probability that Bennu will be ejected out of the inner Solar System, most likely after a close encounter with Jupiter. The highest impact probability for a planet is with Venus (26%), followed by the Earth (10%) and Mercury (3%). The odds of Bennu striking Mars are only 0.8% and there is a 0.2% chance that Bennu will eventually collide with Jupiter. +Asteroids of absolute magnitude less than 21 passing less than 1 lunar distance from EarthAsteroidDateNominal approach distance (LD)Min. distance (LD)Max. distance (LD)Absolute magnitude (H)Size (meters) (152680) 1998 KJ 9 1914-12-31 0.606 0.604 0.608 19.4 279–900 (458732) 2011 MD 5 1918-09-17 0.911 0.909 0.913 17.9 556–1795 (163132) 2002 CU 11 1925-08-30 0.903 0.901 0.905 18.5 443–477 2017 VW 13 2001-11-08 0.373 0.316 3.236 20.7 153–494 (153814) 2001 WN 5 2028-06-26 0.647 0.647 0.647 18.2 921–943 99942 Apophis 2029-04-13 0.0989 0.0989 0.0989 19.7 310–340 2005 WY 55 2065-05-28 0.865 0.856 0.874 20.7 153–494 101955 Bennu 2135-09-25 0.531 0.507 0.555 20.19 472–512 (153201) 2000 WO 107 2140-12-01 0.634 0.631 0.637 19.3 427–593 Meteor shower As an active asteroid with a small minimum orbit intersection distance from Earth, Bennu may be the parent body of a weak meteor shower. Bennu particles would radiate around 25 September from the southern constellation of Sculptor. The meteors are expected to be near the naked eye visibility limit and only produce a Zenith hourly rate of less than 1. Exploration OSIRIS-REx OSIRIS-REx thumb|upright|The successful October 2020 sample collection, showing OSIRIS-REx touching down on the Nightingale sample site The OSIRIS-REx mission of NASA's New Frontiers program was launched towards 101955 Bennu on 8 September 2016. On 3 December 2018, the spacecraft arrived at the asteroid Bennu after a two-year journey.Chang Kenneth 3 December 2018 NASA's Osiris-Rex Arrives at Asteroid Bennu After a Two-Year Journey The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/03/science/osiris-rex-bennu-asteroid-arrival.html 12 February 2021 One week later, at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, investigators announced that OSIRIS-REx had discovered spectroscopic evidence for hydrated minerals on the surface of the asteroid, implying that liquid water was present in Bennu's parent body before it split off. https://www.space.com/42690-asteroid-bennu-had-water-nasa-osiris-rex-discovery.html Asteroid Bennu Had Water! NASA Probe Makes Tantalizing Find Mike Wall 10 December 2018 6 January 2019 Space.com On 20 October 2020, OSIRIS-REx descended to the asteroid and "pogo-sticked off" it while successfully collecting a sample. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/touching-the-asteroid/ Touching the Asteroid Video, 54:03 min. Nova WGBH, PBS 21 October 2020 2020-10-22 On 7 April 2021, OSIRIS-REx completed its final flyover of the asteroid and began slowly drifting away from it. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/nasa-osiris-rex-completes-final-tour-of-asteroid-bennu NASA's OSIRIS-REx Completes Final Tour of Asteroid Bennu NASA 7 April 2021 10 May 2021 On 10 May 2021, the departure was completed with OSIRIS-REx still managing to contain the asteroid sample. OSIRIS-REx returned samples to Earth in 2023 via a capsule-drop by parachute, ultimately, from the spacecraft to the Earth's surface in Utah on 24 September 2023. Shortly after the sample container was retrieved and transferred to an airtight chamber at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, the lid on the container was opened. Scientists commented that they "found black dust and debris on the avionics deck of the OSIRIS-REx science canister" on the initial opening. Further study is planned. On 11 October 2023, the recovered capsule was opened to reveal a "first look" at the asteroid sample contents.Chang Kenneth NASA Unveils First Glimpse of 'Scientific Treasure' Collected From Asteroid – Scientists said they got more material than expected from the Osiris-Rex mission during its seven-year journey to the asteroid Bennu. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/11/science/nasa-asteroid-osiris-rex-bennu.html 11 October 2023 The New York Times live https://archive.today/20231011174611/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/11/science/nasa-asteroid-osiris-rex-bennu.html 11 October 2023 12 October 2023 On 13 December 2023, further studies of the returned sample were reported and revealed organic molecules as well as unknown materials which require more study to have a better idea of their composition and makeup.Kuthunur Sharmila 'What is that material?': Potentially hazardous asteroid Bennu stumps scientists with its odd makeup – Scientists found signs of organic molecules in the first samples of potentially hazardous asteroid Bennu, as well as a 'head scratching' material that has yet to be identified. https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/what-is-that-material-potentially-hazardous-asteroid-bennu-stumps-scientists-with-its-odd-makeup 13 December 2023 LiveScience live https://archive.today/20231214014121/https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/what-is-that-material-potentially-hazardous-asteroid-bennu-stumps-scientists-with-its-odd-makeup 14 December 2023 13 December 2023Rabie Passant It's Been 2 Months. Why Can't NASA Open the Asteroid Sample Container? – The space agency is having to develop new tools to crack open the canister containing bits from asteroid Bennu https://gizmodo.com/nasa-osiris-rex-asteroid-samples-bennu-stuck-container-1851102598 15 December 2023 Gizmodo live https://archive.today/20231215230642/https://gizmodo.com/nasa-osiris-rex-asteroid-samples-bennu-stuck-container-1851102598 15 December 2023 16 December 2023 On 11 January 2024, NASA reported finally fully opening, after three months of trying, the recovered container with samples from the Bennu asteroid. https://blogs.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/2024/01/11/nasas-osiris-rex-team-clears-hurdle-to-access-remaining-bennu-sample/ NASA's OSIRIS-REx Team Clears Hurdle to Access Remaining Bennu Sample Barry Rachel Ann 2024-01-11 OSIRIS-REx Mission, NASAMacDonald Cheyenne NASA finally got the stuck lid off its asteroid Bennu sample container – Thanks to some stubborn fasteners, the agency spent three months locked out of the sample OSIRIS-REx dropped off. https://www.engadget.com/nasa-finally-got-the-stuck-lid-off-its-asteroid-bennu-sample-container-185814782.html 13 January 2024 Engadget live https://archive.today/20240114015754/https://www.engadget.com/nasa-finally-got-the-stuck-lid-off-its-asteroid-bennu-sample-container-185814782.html 14 January 2024 13 January 2024Rabie Passant NASA Finally Opened the Asteroid Container and Holy Crap That's a Lot of Asteroid – After months of struggling to get to the bulk of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample, the space agency has unveiled a treasure trove of ancient rocks and dust. https://gizmodo.com/nasa-osiris-rex-canister-reveal-asteroid-sample-trove-1851184737 22 January 2024 Gizmodo live https://archive.today/20240123011843/https://gizmodo.com/nasa-osiris-rex-canister-reveal-asteroid-sample-trove-1851184737 23 January 2024 22 January 2024 The total weight of the recovered material weighed 121.6 g oz on, over twice the mission's goal.Rabie Passant We Finally Know How Much of That Asteroid OSIRIS-REx Grabbed in Space – Engineers struggled to open the sample canister for months, but it was all worth it for twice the amount of asteroid they thought they were getting. https://gizmodo.com/how-much-nasa-osiris-rex-collected-asteroid-space-1851261317 15 February 2024 Gizmodo live https://archive.today/20240216145102/https://gizmodo.com/how-much-nasa-osiris-rex-collected-asteroid-space-1851261317 16 February 2024 16 February 2024 On 15 May 2024, an overview of preliminary analytical studies on the returned samples was reported.Nicitopoulos Theo NASA's asteroid Bennu samples have rocks unlike any meteorite ever found – Early results from NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission to Bennu have uncovered exotic versions of chondrules – rocks commonly found in meteorites. https://www.astronomy.com/science/nasas-asteroid-bennu-samples-have-rocks-unlike-any-meteorite-ever-found/ 15 May 2024 Astronomy live https://archive.today/20240516190933/https://www.astronomy.com/science/nasas-asteroid-bennu-samples-have-rocks-unlike-any-meteorite-ever-found/ 16 May 2024 Selection The asteroid Bennu was selected from over half a million known asteroids by the OSIRIS-REx selection committee. The primary constraint for selection was close proximity to Earth, since proximity implies low impulse (Δv) required to reach an object from Earth orbit. The criteria stipulated an asteroid in an orbit with low eccentricity, low inclination, and an orbital radius of 0.8 - 1.6 au. Furthermore, the candidate asteroid for a sample-return mission must have loose regolith on its surface, which implies a diameter greater than 200 meters. Asteroids smaller than this typically spin too fast to retain dust or small particles. Finally, a desire to find an asteroid with pristine carbon material from the early Solar System, possibly including volatile molecules and organic compounds, reduced the list further. With the above criteria applied, five asteroids remained as candidates for the OSIRIS-REx mission, and Bennu was chosen, in part for its potentially hazardous orbit. Returned samples horizontal 450 Maps14227-fig-0005-m.jpg The bulk Bennu sample in the glovebox. (a) Sample obtained from the top of the Mylar flap (left two trays) and scooped from beneath it (right two trays). (b) Sample poured from the TAGSAM into eight trays. Maps14227-fig-0017-m.jpg Phosphate in a mottled particle (OREX-803009-101). (a) Visible light microscopy image of a dark particle with an outer crust of high-reflectance material. (b–d) SEM images showing progressively zoomed view of a fragment of the particle that split off along a high-reflectance vein, revealing material similar to the outer crust, with a blocky friable texture and consisting of Na, Mg, and P. The OSIRIS-REx mission successfully returned approximately 120 grams of material from Bennu to Earth in September 2023. The returned material is predominantly very dark, with reflectance values consistent with observations of Bennu's surface, though it contains some brighter inclusions and particles. Particle sizes in the sample span a wide range, from submicron dust to rocks measuring about 3.5 cm in length. Mineralogical analysis shows that the sample is rich in hydrated minerals, particularly Mg-rich phyllosilicates, confirming predictions from remote sensing data. Other major components include magnetite, sulfides, carbonates, and organic compounds. An unexpected discovery was the presence of phosphate minerals in some samples, including Mg, Na-rich phosphates found as veins and crusts in some particles.Lauretta Dante S. Connolly Harold C. Aebersold Joseph E. Asteroid (101955) Bennu in the laboratory: Properties of the sample collected by OSIRIS-REx Meteoritics & Planetary Science 26 June 2024 59 9 2453–2486 10.1111/maps.14227 1 2404.12536 2024M&PS...59.2453L free The elemental composition of the Bennu samples closely resembles that of CI chondrite meteorites. However, the Bennu material shows some distinct isotopic ratios. The average oxygen isotopic composition places Bennu in the same region of oxygen three-isotope space as CI and CY chondrites, as well as samples from asteroid Ryugu. The carbon content of the samples (4.5–4.7 wt%) is higher than that found in known meteorites and Ryugu samples. The presence of presolar grains in the samples indicates that some of the material has remained largely unprocessed since the formation of the solar system. Presolar silicon carbide and graphite were identified, with abundances of 52 12 10 ppm and 12 7 5 ppm respectively, similar to unheated chondrite samples. Evidence suggests that the samples come from at least two different lithologies on Bennu's surface. Three predominant types of particles were identified: hummocky, angular, and mottled. These show distinct densities, with hummocky particles having the lowest average density (1.55 0.07 g/cm3) and mottled particles the highest (1.77 0.04 g/cm3). Spectral analysis of the samples shows a redder slope from 0.4 to 2.5 μm compared to Bennu's global spectrum, potentially indicating differences in particle size, surface texture, or space weathering between the sampled material and the asteroid's surface. Since 3 November 2023, a part of the sample is exhibited at the Hall of Meteorites of the National Museum of Natural History (Washington, DC).Pearlman Robert Z. Smithsonian debuts 1st display of asteroid Bennu sample brought back by OSIRIS-REx https://www.space.com/smithsonian-osiris-rex-bennu-asteroid-unveiling space.com 6 November 2023 3 November 2023 Another portion of the sample was exhibited by NASA at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy, from 14 to 18 October 2024.NASAExhibit 1845910951054205193 NASA exhibit at IAC 2024 opens with Bennu sample 15 October 2024 https://x.com/NASAExhibit/status/1845910951054205193 24 October 2024NASAExhibit 1847158178120675712 NASA invites the general public to view a Bennu sample at their booth for the IAC 2024 public day 18 October 2024 https://x.com/NASAExhibit/status/1847158178120675712 24 October 2024 In January 2025, it was reported that a wide range of carbon- and nitrogen-rich organic compounds were identified in samples returned from Bennu, including all five nucleobases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil) that are the essential building blocks of DNA and RNA. Fourteen of the 20 amino acids that make up proteins in terrestrial organisms were also present, but unlike the amino acids found in organisms on Earth, the amino acids from Bennu had mixed chirality. NASA's Asteroid Bennu Sample Reveals Mix of Life's Ingredients NASA https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-asteroid-bennu-sample-reveals-mix-of-lifes-ingredients/ 2025-01-31 en-US2025-01-29 Bennu asteroid contains building blocks of life, say scientists https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7vd1zjlr5lo 2025-01-31 BBC News en-GBPetrić Howe Nick Thompson Benjamin 2025-01-29 Asteroid Bennu contains building blocks of life https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00267-0 Nature en 10.1038/d41586-025-00267-0 39885349 0028-0836 subscriptionMcCoy T. J. Russell S. S. Zega T. J. Thomas-Keprta K. L. Singerling S. A. Brenker F. E. Timms N. E. Rickard W. D. A. Barnes J. J. Libourel G. Ray S. Corrigan C. M. Haenecour P. Gainsforth Z. Dominguez G. 2025-01-30 An evaporite sequence from ancient brine recorded in Bennu samples Nature en 637 8048 1072–1077 10.1038/s41586-024-08495-6 39880992 0028-0836 11779627 2025Natur.637.1072MGlavin D.P. Dworkin J.P. Alexander C.M.O'D. Aponte J.C. Bacynski A.A. Barnes J.J. Bechtel H.A. Berger E.L. Burton A.S. Caselli P. Chung A.H. Clemett S.J. Cody G.D. Dominguez G. Elsila J.E. Farnsworth K.K. Foustoukos D.I. Freeman K.H. Furukawa Y. Gainsforth Z. Graham H.V. Grassi T. Guiliano B.M. Hamilton V.E. Haenecour P. Heck P.R. Hofmann A.E. House C.H. Huang Y. Kaplan H.H. Keller L.P. Kim B. Koga T. Liss M. McLain H.L. Marcus M.A. Matney M. McCoy T.J. McIntosh O.M. Mojarro A. Naraoka H. Nguyen A.N. Nuevo M. Nuth III J.A. Oba Y. Parker E.T. Peretyazhko T.S. Sandford S.A. Santos E. Schmitt-Kopplin P. Seguin F. Simkus D.N. Shahid A. Takano Y. Thomas-Keprta K.L. Tripathi H. Weiss G. Zheng Y. Lunning N.G. Righter K. Connolly Jr H.C. Lauretta D.S. Abundant ammonia and nitrogen-rich soluble organic matter in samples from asteroid (101955) Bennu Nature Astronomy 2025 9 2 199–210 10.1038/s41550-024-02472-9 39990238 11842271 2025NatAs...9..199G See also List of minor planets and comets visited by spacecraft Terminator orbit, the orbit class used by OSIRIS-REx at Bennu 162173 Ryugu, an asteroid being studied by JAXA concurrent with the NASA mission to 101955 Bennu References Solution #118: 2020-10-03 last observation. Solution includes non-gravitational parameters JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 101955 Bennu (1999 RQ36) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA 7 January 2021 https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=Bennu&view=OPC https://web.archive.org/web/20180319121233/https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=101955;cad=1 19 March 2018 live 28 March 2021 https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?pc=1.1.0&n=101955 (101955) Bennu NEODyS, University of Pisa spacedys.com 1 December 2015 http://phl.upr.edu/projects/habitable-exoplanets-catalog/calculators Planetary Habitability Calculators University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo Planetary Habitability Laboratory 6 December 2015 18 October 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211018083037/http://phl.upr.edu/projects/habitable-exoplanets-catalog/calculators Murphy Diane Nine-Year-Old Names Asteroid Target of NASA Mission in Competition Run By The Planetary Society http://www.planetary.org/press-room/releases/2013/nine-year-old-names-asteroid.html 20 August 2016 planetary.org The Planetary Society 1 May 2013 Brown Dwayne Neal-Jones Nancy Release 15-056 NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission Passes Critical Milestone http://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/march/nasa-s-osiris-rex-mission-passes-critical-milestone/ 31 March 2015 NASA 4 April 2015 Horizons Batch for Bennu MaxDistance 2045 JPL Horizons, NASA https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons_batch.cgi?batch=1&COMMAND=%27Bennu%27&START_TIME=%272045-11-25%27&STOP_TIME=%272045-11-29%27&STEP_SIZE=%271%20day%27&QUANTITIES=%2720%27 2021-08-22 (101955) Bennu Ephemerides for September 2060 NEODyS (Near Earth Objects – Dynamic Site) spacedys.com https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?pc=1.1.3.1&n=101955&oc=500&y0=2060&m0=9&d0=20&h0=0&mi0=0&y1=2060&m1=9&d1=30&h1=0&mi1=0&ti=1.0&tiu=hours 2019-05-15 Horizons Bennu Orbital Elements for 2135-Aug-30 and 2135-Sep-30 JPL Horizons, NASA https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons_batch.cgi?batch=1&COMMAND=%27Bennu%27&TABLE_TYPE=%27ELEMENTS%27&START_TIME=%272135-Aug-30%27&STOP_TIME=%272135-Sep-30%27&STEP_SIZE=%271%20month%27&CENTER=%27@sun%27&OUT_UNITS=%27AU-D%27 PR is orbital period in days 2021-08-19 Bennu 2135/2182 orbits 11 August 2021 NASA Scientific Visualization Studio https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4921 Nominal and impacting solution for 2182 2021-08-20 (101955) Bennu Ephemerides for 24 September 2182 NEODyS (Near Earth Objects – Dynamic Site) https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?pc=1.1.3.1&n=101955&oc=500&y0=2182&m0=9&d0=24&h0=0&mi0=0&y1=2182&m1=9&d1=24&h1=0&mi1=0&ti=1.0&tiu=days https://web.archive.org/web/20210814213822/https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?pc=1.1.3.1&n=101955&oc=500&y0=2182&m0=9&d0=24&h0=0&mi0=0&y1=2182&m1=9&d1=24&h1=0&mi1=0&ti=1.0&tiu=days 2021-08-14 live 2021-08-14 https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/sentry/details.html#?des=101955 101955 1999 RQ36: Earth Impact Risk Summary Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA 14 July 2021 14 August 2021 Farnocchia Davide Chesley Steven R. Takahashi Yu Ephemeris and hazard assessment for near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu based on OSIRIS-REx data Icarus 2021 369 114594 10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114594 2021Icar..36914594F free Unusual polarimetric properties of (101955) Bennu: similarities with F-class asteroids and cometary bodies Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters 481 1 L49–L53 1808.07812 Hergenrother Carl W. Maria Antonietta Barucci Barnouin Olivier Bierhaus Beau Binzel Richard P. Bottke William F. Chesley Steve Clark Ben C. Clark Beth E. Cloutis Ed Christian Drouet d'Aubigny Delbo Marco Emery Josh Gaskell Bob Howell Ellen Ellen Howell Keller Lindsay Kelley Michael Marshall John Michel Patrick Nolan Michael Rizk Bashar Scheeres Dan Takir Driss Vokrouhlický David D. Beshore Ed Lauretta Dante S. 119226483 2018 10.1093/mnrasl/sly156 free 2018MNRAS.481L..49C (101955) Bennu = 1999 RQ36 Orbit Minor Planet Center minorplanetcenter.net https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=Bennu 2018-03-21 http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/~lance/1999RQ36/1999RQ36.html https://web.archive.org/web/20000830105849/http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/~lance/1999RQ36/1999RQ36.html 2000-08-30 Goldstone Delay-Doppler Images of 1999 RQ36 Asteroid Radar Research, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA NASA to Launch New Science Mission to Asteroid in 2016 http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/osiris-rex.html NASA 21 May 2013 25 May 2011 30 December 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191230231639/https://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/osiris-rex.html dead Sentry: Earth Impact Monitoring Center for NEO Studies, NASA https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/sentry/ https://web.archive.org/web/20250116141504/https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/sentry/ 2025-01-16 live 2025-01-20 (Use Unconstrained Settings) Recent Bennu Press Stories Need Correction Center for NEO Studies, NASA Paul Chodas https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news201.html 24 March 2018 Hudson, R.S. Ostro, S.J. Benner, L.A.M. 2000DPS....32.0710H Recent Delay-Doppler Radar Asteroid Modeling Results: 1999 RQ36 and Craters on Toutatis Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society 32 1001 2000 Milani Andrea Chesley Steven R. Sansaturio Maria Eugenia Bernardi Fabrizio Valsecchi Giovanni B. Arratia Oscar 54594575 2009 Long term impact risk for (101955) 1999 RQ36 Icarus 203 2 460–471 10.1016/j.icarus.2009.05.029 2009Icar..203..460M 0901.3631 http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/~lance/delta_v/delta_v.rendezvous.html Near-Earth Asteroid Delta-V for Space Rendezvous NASA https://web.archive.org/web/20010603042837/http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/~lance/delta_v/delta_v.rendezvous.html 2001-06-03 dead 2010 Earth Impact Effects Program Imperial College London / Purdue University Robert Marcus H. Jay Melosh Gareth Collins ese.ic.ac.uk http://impact.ese.ic.ac.uk/ImpactEffects/ 2013-02-07 https://web.archive.org/web/20171001034523/http://impact.ese.ic.ac.uk/ImpactEffects/ 1 October 2017 dead (solution using density of 2,600 kg/m^3, sped of 17km/s, and impact angle of 45 degrees) Nolan M.C. Magri C. Howell E.S. Ellen Howell Benner L.A.M. Giorgini J.D. Hergenrother C.W. Hudson R.S. Lauretta D.S. Margot J.L. Ostro S.J. Scheeres D.J. Shape model and surface properties of the OSIRIS-REx target Asteroid (101955) Bennu from radar and lightcurve observations Icarus 226 1 2013 629–640 0019-1035 10.1016/j.icarus.2013.05.028 2013Icar..226..629N http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/6mh8b2t5 Chesley Steven R. Farnocchia Davide Nolan Michael C. Vokrouhlický David Chodas Paul W. Milani Andrea Spoto Federica Rozitis Benjamin Benner Lance A.M. Bottke William F. Busch Michael W. Emery Joshua P. Howell Ellen S. Ellen Howell Lauretta Dante S. Margot Jean-Luc Taylor Patrick A. 30979660 Orbit and bulk density of the OSIRIS-REx target Asteroid (101955) Bennu Icarus 235 2014 5–22 0019-1035 10.1016/j.icarus.2014.02.020 2014Icar..235....5C 1402.5573 Thermal infrared observations and thermophysical characterization of the OSIRIS-REx target asteroid (101955) Bennu 1 Emery J. Fernandez Y. Kelley M. Warden K. Hergenrother C. Lauretta D. Drake M. Campins H. Ziffer J. Conference Proceedings Asteroids, Comets, Meteors 2014 148 K. Muinonen July 2014 2014acm..conf..148E . Lightcurve, Color and Phase Function Photometry of the OSIRIS-REx Target Asteroid (101955) Bennu 1 Hergenrother Carl W. Nolan Michael C. Binzel Richard P. Cloutis Edward A. Barucci Maria Antonietta Michel Patrick Scheeres Daniel J. d'Aubigny Christian Drouet Lazzaro Daniela Pinilla-Alonso Noemi Campins Humberto Licandro Javier Clark Beth E. Rizk Bashar Beshore Edward C. Lauretta Dante S. Icarus 226 1 663–670 September 2013 10.1016/j.icarus.2013.05.044 2013Icar..226..663H https://stars.library.ucf.edu/scopus2010/6143 . The OSIRIS-REx target asteroid (101955) Bennu: Constraints on its physical, geological, and dynamical nature from astronomical observations 1 Lauretta D. S. Bartels A.E. Barucci M.A. Bierhaus E.B. Binzel R.P. Bottke W.F. Campins H. Chesley S.R. Clark B.C. Clark B.E. Cloutis E.A. Connolly HC. Crombie M. K. Delbó M. Dworkin J. P. Emery J. P. Glavin D. P. Hamilton V. E. Hergenrother C. W. Johnson C. L. Keller L.P. Michel P. Nolan M.C. Sandford S.A. Scheeres D.J. Simon A.A. Sutter B.M. Vokrouhlický D. Walsh K.J. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 50 4 834–849 April 2015 10.1111/maps.12353 2015M&PS...50..834L . 32777236 Lauretta D.S. Bartels A.E. Barucci M.A. Bierhaus E.B. Binzel R.P. Bottke W.F. Campins H. Chesley S.R. Clark B.C. Clark B.E. Cloutis E.A. Connolly H.C. Crombie M.K. Delbó M. Dworkin J.P. Emery J.P. Glavin D.P. Hamilton V.E. Hergenrother C.W. Johnson C.L. Keller L.P. Michel P. Nolan M.C. Sandford S.A. Scheeres D. J. Simon A.A. Sutter B.M. Vokrouhlický D. Walsh K.J. The OSIRIS-REx target asteroid (101955) Bennu: Constraints on its physical, geological, and dynamical nature from astronomical observations Meteoritics & Planetary Science April 2015 50 4 834–849 10.1111/maps.12353 2 2015M&PS...50..834L 32777236 Why Bennu? http://www.asteroidmission.org/why-bennu/ OSIRIS-REx Mission Arizona Board of Regents 10 September 2016June 2026 InternetArchiveBot In search of the source of asteroid (101955) Bennu: Applications of the stochastic YORP model 1 Bottke William F. Vokrouhlický David Walsh Kevin J. Delbo Marco Michel Patrick Lauretta Dante S. Campins Humberto Connolly Harold C. Scheeres Daniel J. Chelsey Steven R. Icarus 247 191–217 February 2015 10.1016/j.icarus.2014.09.046 2015Icar..247..191B https://stars.library.ucf.edu/facultybib2010/6433 . Ye Quanzhi Prediction of Meteor Activities from (101955) Bennu American Astronomical Society 3 3 56 2019 10.3847/2515-5172/ab12e7 2019RNAAS...3...56Y 187247696 https://authors.library.caltech.edu/94305/1/Ye_2019p56.pdf free External links Video (2:53) – Asteroid Bennu Mission Overview (NASA; 11 May 2021). Video (01:12) – Asteroid Bennu ejecting material into space (CNN; 5 December 2019) Video (01:32) – OSIRIS REx's approach to asteroid Bennu (NASA; 7 January 2019) Earth Impact Risk Summary: 101955 1999 RQ36 (Years: 2175–2199) – Jet Propulsion Laboratory near-Earth object site NEODyS-2 Ephemerides for 2135 (step size: 10 days) 10.1088/2041-8205/728/2/L42 Temperature History and Dynamical Evolution of (101955) 1999 Rq 36: A Potential Target for Sample Return from a Primitive Asteroid The Astrophysical Journal 728 2 L42 2011 Delbo Marco Michel Patrick 2011ApJ...728L..42D free 1210.5370 Hergenrother Carl W. 55689658 etal Physical Properties of OSIRIS-REx Target Asteroid (101955) 1999 RQ36 derived from Herschel, ESO-VISIR and Spitzer observations Astronomy & Astrophysics 548 A36 2012 10.1051/0004-6361/201220066 free 2012A&A...548A..36M 1409.4704 Hergenrother Carl W. etal The Design Reference Asteroid for the OSIRIS-REx Mission Target (101955) Bennu astro-ph.EP 2014 Nominal and impacting solution for 2182 101955 (101869) 1999 MM 101955 102211 Angelofaggiano Astronomy Stars Spaceflight Solar System Category:Apollo asteroids Category:Potentially hazardous asteroids Category:Active asteroids Category:Discoveries by LINEAR Bennu Category:Potential impact events caused by near-Earth objects 20181203 Bennu Category:Articles containing video clips 19990911 Category:B-type asteroids (SMASS)