Gravel being ejected by asteroid Bennu, as captured by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. (Image Credit: NASA’s GSFC, U. Arizona, OSIRIS-REx Lockheed Martin).
New Delhi: In September 2023, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft returned samples from the asteroid Bennu to Earth. The spacecraft was dispatched on a seven year journey to retrieve some material from a space rock because asteroids are time capsules, that contain within them valuable information about the infancy of the Solar System. Asteroids are pristine objects not transformed by geological processes, and are believed to be composed of ancient and primitive material. The research reveals that Asteroid Bennu is composed of chemically primitive materials that is similar to the visible surface of the Sun.
The research indicates that Bennu has gone through processes different from the planets, which changed the abundance of particular elements relative to the Sun. Analysis of the samples have confirmed that components such as hydrated phyllosilicates, which often form in the presence of water are present on the asteroid. Researchers also discovered magnesium-sodium phosphates, which further indicates that Bennu experienced chemical environments, possibly involving water.
Bennu is a Pristine asteroid
The findings are presented in the first paper based on studies of the samples returned by OSIRIS-REx, in Meteoritics and Planetary Science. One of the authors of the study, Nick Timms says, “We also found other trace minerals, which offer clues as to the processes which have happened on Bennu over billions of years, such as temperature and pressure conditions. These trace minerals help paint a picture of Bennu’s evolution and also offer insights into the early solar system and how the different planetary bodies in the solar system were created.”
The initial research is a promising indicator of the scientific value in the samples returned by the OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft. The researchers expect to make more dramatic discoveries about the Early solar system based on the samples returned from Bennu. The samples in fact contain pre-solar grains that formed before the Sun was, and can provide scientists with valuable insights into the lives of long-dead stars, which makes up everything that we see around us.
Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
