Scientists had their first look at a sample collected from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu and found more than they expected. NASA began opening the capsule from the OSIRIS-REx mission, which collected pieces from the asteroid, and announced on Tuesday that it discovered "black dust and debris" inside it, even before starting to analyze the bulk of the sample.
After seven years of traveling, the capsule, nicknamed the "Doomsday Rock," landed on Earth in the U.S. desert on Sunday after a daring maneuver. NASA estimates that it successfully collected about 250 grams of material from Bennu in 2020, making it the largest sample ever retrieved from an asteroid.
#### What Did the Scientists Find?
When scientists opened the capsule containing the sample, they found dark materials with fine grains inside the cover and base surrounding the mechanism used to collect rocks and soil from beyond Earth. This unexpected debris could reveal fundamental information about the asteroid before the primary sample analysis.
#### What Insights Can the Bennu Sample Provide?
Asteroids are remnants from the formation of the solar system and offer insights into what those chaotic early days were like when planets formed and settled into their positions. However, near-Earth asteroids also pose a threat to our planet, making it crucial to understand their composition and orbits to divert space rocks on a collision course with Earth. Scientists are attempting to conduct a rapid analysis of any material they discover upon opening the capsule, as there is plenty to analyze before accessing the bulk of the sample located inside the head of the mechanism, but they need to take their time to collect all materials.
#### When Will the Sample Be Revealed?
The actual asteroid sample will not be revealed until October 11, during a live broadcast by NASA. The head of the capsule will be transferred to a specialized box for careful disassembly, unveiling the sample inside. Meanwhile, a quick analysis is currently underway for a sample taken from outside the capsule's head, which could provide preliminary results from the materials collected from Bennu.
