Study traces asteroid Bennu's origin to a specific solar system region
Researchers analyzing samples returned by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission have identified a specific zone between the inner and outer solar system as Bennu's likely birthplace. The finding narrows down where the asteroid formed before it migrated to its current near-Earth orbit.
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Pinpointing Bennu's formation zone could help scientists refine models of how material moved and mixed across the early solar system. It may also inform how researchers interpret the organic and mineral content found in the returned samples, since location of formation shapes what building blocks an asteroid could have carried.
- Researchers identified a specific origin zone for asteroid Bennu located between the inner and outer solar system
- The conclusion draws on analysis of samples brought back by the OSIRIS-REx mission
- The finding could refine scientific understanding of material transport in the early solar system
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Published there as: “Asteroid Bennu Came From an Unexpected Corner of the Solar System”
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