NASA has released images of an asteroid after one of its spacecrafts got closer to a big rock than they’ve ever been before! Check them out below. The asteroid is named Bennu and OSIRIS-REx got within 680 metres of it around 90 million miles from Earth. From NASA’s vantage point, half of Bennu is sunlit and half is in shadow. From here NASA will map the asteroid and figure out where is best to collect a sample from. The samples will help scientists understand the formation of the Solar System. Space is SO COOL! Also, asteroids are scary. Keep Bruce Willis on stand-by.
This is the view from the closest orbit a spacecraft has ever made around a planetary body.
This navigation image of asteroid Bennu was taken shortly after orbital insertion on June 13 from a distance of 0.4 miles (690 m).
Image details: https://t.co/8aFYUKK4cW pic.twitter.com/jraAXwRAw1
— NASA's OSIRIS-REx (@OSIRISREx) June 17, 2019
Didn’t think Bennu’s boulders could surprise me at this point in the game. But look at this weirdo. Just stickin’ up like nbd.
Image details: https://t.co/6JpoD1KPc9 pic.twitter.com/ilkevnFJEg
— NASA's OSIRIS-REx (@OSIRISREx) June 18, 2019
