NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe revealed that asteroid Bennu formed much closer to the Sun than previously believed.
Asteroid's origin redefined
Geochemists used samples from NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe to determine that the asteroid Bennu formed much closer to the Sun than previously believed, challenging earlier assumptions about its origin.Bennu's new location
Bennu was once thought to have originated from the icy regions of the Solar System, but the analysis of its samples suggests it formed in a warmer, inner region, possibly near the orbit of Mars.Sample analysis methods
Scientists examined the chemical composition of Bennu's materials, identifying specific minerals and isotopes that indicate the asteroid formed in a region with higher temperatures and different conditions than the outer Solar System.Implications for Solar System history
This discovery changes our understanding of how asteroids and planets formed, suggesting that materials from the inner Solar System were more widely distributed than previously thought.OSIRIS-REx mission success
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission successfully collected and returned samples from Bennu, providing crucial data that has led to this new understanding of the asteroid's formation and history.
