Bennu
Bennu is a relatively small asteroid that passes close to Earth about every six years. Bennu was the target of NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission, OSIRIS-REx. The spacecraft delivered a sample of Bennu to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023.
Facts About Bennu
Bennu is a carbon-rich asteroid that is about one-third of a mile wide at its equator.
Bennu may have broken off from a much larger carbon-rich asteroid about 700 million to 2 billion years ago. It likely formed in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and has drifted much closer to Earth since then. Bennu makes it closest approach to Earth every 6 years, coming within about 186,000 miles (299,000 kilometers) of our planet.
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Exploring Bennu
Bennu was the target of NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission – OSIRIS-REx.
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launched to Bennu on Sept. 8, 2016, to collect a sample. After is successfully delivered the sample to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023, the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team found that Bennu contains the original ingredients that formed our solar system. The sample also had a few surprises.
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Bennu Multimedia
Explore this page for resources about asteroid Bennu.
Get images, posters, videos, models and more about asteroid Bennu and the OSIRIS-REx mission.
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Asteroid and Comet Resources
A curated collection of resources about asteroids and comets, including activities that can be done at home, as well as videos and animations, images, handouts, and online interactives.
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