The Smithsonian Museum would open a unique exhibition with valuable samples from the asteroid Bennu, which covered a distance of 6.2 billion km. They will be shown to the public for the first time. The opening is scheduled for November 3 at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington.
A sample of the asteroid Bennu will be displayed in the meteorite gallery of the museum, which is part of the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals. This event is made possible thanks to NASA’s cooperation. It is important not only for the public but also for the scientific community because the samples have scientific value and are representative of other rocks collected by OSIRIS-REx.
The exhibition will include scale models of the OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft and the Atlas V 411 rocket that delivered the spacecraft into space, as well as videos and images from the mission. It is a unique opportunity to look at incredible samples from another space object, learn more about the history of the Solar System and the possible origin of life on Earth. The exhibition will be an important event for all those interested in space and science.
Delivery of samples from the asteroid Bennu
The capsule of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, containing samples of the asteroid Bennu, successfully landed on September 24, 2023, at the Ministry of Defense test site in Utah. The landing completed the seven-year journey of the spacecraft, which also became NASA’s first mission to collect samples of asteroid matter. Before that, only Japan delivered such samples to Earth in 2010 and 2020.
In addition to the sample, which would be on display at the Smithsonian Museum, another fragment of the asteroid was transferred for scientific research. Scientists have already discovered important elements in it, such as carbon and water-containing minerals. This will help reveal important information about the formation of the Solar System and the origin of life on Earth.
Earlier we reported on how valuable samples from the asteroid Bennu got stuck inside the OSIRIS-REx capsule.
According to space.com
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