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101955 Bennu

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A detailed image of asteroid Bennu taken by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft during its mission to study the asteroid.

Meet Bennu!

Bennu is a special space rock that scientists watch very closely. It was found on September 11, 1999, by the LINEAR Project. Bennu is named after an ancient Egyptian mythological bird linked to the Sun, creation, and new beginnings.

Bennu is about the size of a big football field, roughly 490 meters wide. Scientists study it using special telescopes like the Arecibo Observatory and the Goldstone Deep Space Network. It was the focus of the OSIRIS-REx mission, a spacecraft that visited Bennu and collected samples to bring back to Earth. These samples help scientists learn about space and our Solar System.

Bennu spins like a top and has big rocks on its surface. It also has water hidden inside, which is very exciting for scientists. All the features on Bennu are named after birds and bird-like creatures from myths from around the world.

Scientists think Bennu might come very close to Earth in the future, so they keep watching it carefully. Even though there are some possible close approaches, there is no need to worry right now. Bennu helps us learn more about space rocks and our amazing universe.

Images

An image of asteroid Bennu in space, showing particles being ejected from its surface, captured by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.
Scientists observed asteroid Bennu shooting particles into space—this image from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft shows the event.
NASA images show detailed views of asteroid Bennu's rocky surface, including large boulders and a smooth regolith area captured by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.
A NASA spacecraft captured this image of asteroid Bennu's rocky surface, showing large boulders and the rough terrain of this distant space rock.
A NASA spacecraft lands on the surface of asteroid Bennu during the OSIRIS-REx mission to collect samples for science.
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured images of four potential sample sites on asteroid Bennu, named Nightingale, Kingfisher, Osprey, and Sandpiper.
A detailed map of the asteroid Bennu's surface, showing named features like craters and ridges, used to study space.
Diagram showing the path of asteroid Bennu and the inner planets as they travel around the sun.
Animation showing NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collecting samples from asteroid Bennu during its 2020 mission.
Animation showing the rotation of asteroid Bennu in space.
Animation showing how asteroid 101955 Bennu moves around Earth between the years 2128 and 2138.
Animation showing the path of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft as it travels from Earth to asteroid 101955 Bennu and back.
Animation showing the path of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft as it orbits the asteroid 101955 Bennu.
Animation showing the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft as it approaches and touches down on the asteroid Bennu, part of a NASA mission to collect samples from space.

Related articles

Egyptian mythology
Sun
NASA Deep Space Network
Earth
Solar System

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on 101955 Bennu, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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