Asteroid Bennu’s Minerals and Organic Matter Occur in Distinct Chemical Domains: Study

GEOLOGY

Apr 13 2026 12:13 PM

This mosaic image of asteroid Bennu is composed of 12 images collected on December 2, 2018 by OSIRIS-REx’s PolyCam instrument from a range of 15 miles (24 km). Image credit: NASA / NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / University of Arizona.

A new nanoscale analysis of the Bennu sample OREX-800066-3 returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission shows that organic compounds and minerals cluster into distinct regions, suggesting water once altered the asteroid in uneven, localized ways.

The post Asteroid Bennu’s Minerals and Organic Matter Occur in Distinct Chemical Domains: Study appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

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Asteroid Bennu’s Minerals and Organic Matter Occur in Distinct Chemical Domains: Study