Asteroid Bennu keep on to surprise scientist . NASA ’s ballistic capsule OSIRIS - REx gain this tiny world on December 3 , 2018 , and since then our linear perspective of it has radically changed . The asteroid ’s Earth’s surface has more boulders than expected , it ’s releasing plume of material , and it has water - plentiful mineral .
If all of this data from the last three months is n’t enough for you , there are also indication that the asteroid might be spin itself to demise . The finding are reported in three paper ( here , here , andhere ) published in the daybook Nature Astronomy .
The datum compile so far by OSIRIS - REx are being used by NASA to plan the rest of the mission . The space vehicle will vibrate above the asteroid ’s surface and outdo up stuff with an extendable limb . This sample will then be brought back to Earth in 2023 .
To gather material safely , the team is mapping the asteroid ’s Earth’s surface to fend off the many boulders on it , as well as monitoring the asteroid ’s motion and gravitational force field . Bennu is only 492 meter ( 1,614 groundwork ) across and weighs 73 billion kilo ( 160 billion pounds ) , so faint force like solar radiation can have an burden on its dynamic properties . And that ’s how the researchers discovered that the earth at its equator is outside its Roche lobe .
This lobe is the region where gravity is the dominant force . For cloth at Bennu ’s equator , this is no longer the case . And given that radiation syndrome from the Sun is increase the asteroid ’s rotation on its axis of rotation , Bennu might break dance apart in the future .
“ As that Roche lobe narrows further and further around the equator , it becomes easy and easy for this asteroid to turn a loss fabric , ” moderate source of one of the papers , Daniel Scheeres from the University of Colorado Boulder , said in astatement . “ So far , that material has been trapped by sombreness , but at some decimal point , if the asteroid retain spinning quicker , then you devolve off the drop . ”
Scientists are not just concerned in the future of the asteroid . They are extremely funny about its past times too , as it could tell us something about the organization of the Solar System . Using infrared observations , the researcher were able to establish similarities between Bennu ’s typography and certain meteorite that have land on Earth .
“ scientist are interested in the composition of Bennu because similar objects may have seeded the Earth with water and organic materials , ” the Southwest Research Institute ’s Dr Victoria Hamilton , a mission co - research worker and lead source , posit . “ OSIRIS - male monarch data point substantiate late undercoat - based notice target to aqueously altered , hydrous minerals on the surface of the asteroid . ”
OSIRIS - REx is in arecord - breakingorbit around Bennu , 1.75 kilometers ( 1.09 miles ) from the center of the asteroid . This close orbit permit for some unbelievable reflection . The scientist have witnessed boulders break up due to warming and cooling from the Sun and have also spotted particles recrudesce from Bennu ’s surface .
“ The discovery of feather is one of the prominent surprises of my scientific career,”explainedDante Lauretta , OSIRIS - REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona , Tucson . “ And the rugged terrain went against all of our predictions . Bennu is already surprising us , and our exciting journey there is just getting started . ”
