Smithsonian debuts first display of OSIRIS-REx asteroid fragment (Nov. 3rd 2023)

Ⓒ Smithsonian/James Di Loreto and Phillip R. Lee

The Smithsonian debuted the first display of a piece of roughly 143mg from the asteroid Bennu from the sample brought back to Earth by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission.

A CT (computer tomography) scan of the fragment — labeled by NASA scientists at the Johnson Space Center in Houston as OREX-800027-0 — showed that the stone is made up of dozens of smaller rocks that were fragments cemented back together and that the entire piece was heavily altered by water, producing clays, iron oxides, iron sulfides and carbonates as its major minerals, along with carbon.

CT scan image: http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-110323a-smithsonian-osiris-rex-bennu-asteroid-unveiling.html

Ⓒ 2023 collectSPACE.com

source: http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-110323a-smithsonian-osiris-rex-bennu-asteroid-unveiling.html