Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2020 October 12

                      Descending Toward Asteroid Bennu
   Video Credit: NASA, OSIRIS-REx, NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio;
                  Data: NASA, U. Arizona, CSA, York U., MDA

   Explanation: What would it be like to land on an asteroid? Although no
   human has yet done it, NASA's robotic OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is
   scheduled to attempt to touch the surface of asteroid 101955 Bennu next
   week. The goal is to collect a sample from the nearby minor planet for
   return to Earth for a detailed analysis in 2023. The featured video
   shows what it looks like to descend toward the 500-meter diamond-shaped
   asteroid, based on a digital map of Bennu's rocky surface constructed
   from image and surface data taken by OSIRIS-REx over the past 1.5
   years. The video begins by showing a rapidly spinning Bennu -- much
   faster than its real rotation period of 4.3 hours. After the rotation
   stops, the virtual camera drops you down to just above the rugged
   surface and circles a house-sized rock outcrop named Simurgh, with the
   flatter outcrop Roc visible behind it. If the return sample reaches
   Earth successfully, it will be scrutinized for organic compounds that
   might have seeded a young Earth, rare or unusual elements and minerals,
   and clues about the early history of our Solar System.

                      Tomorrow's picture: opposing Mars
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
                             & Michigan Tech. U.


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