Here’s how it works. The near-Earth asteroid Bennu continues to reveal its secrets to NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, which has been orbiting the space rock for nearly two years.

Here’s the background — OSIRIS-REx has orbited asteroid Bennu since December 2018. Its mission was to scoop up a sample of this ancient body and bring it back to Earth for analysis.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission is scheduled to return samples of Asteroid Bennu to Earth. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center ...

Bennu is a 1,600-foot-wide near-Earth asteroid that was discovered in 1999 by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) Project. It passes by Earth approximately every 6 years.

Bennu seems to be rife with water-containing, or “hydrated,” minerals. It’s an active asteroid, spewing debris into space 11 times during the course of observations so far.

The asteroid will make its next closest approach to Earth in 2135. While Bennu won't come close enough to pose a threat to Earth then, knowing its exact trajectory can help scientists better ...

The mission will be launched toward Bennu in late 2016, arrive at the asteroid in 2018, and return a sample of Bennu’s surface to Earth in 2023.

Most of the asteroid's large boulders are located in the south, extending over 20 to 30 meters long. Additionally, the 3D model revealed ridge-like mounds on Bennu that extend from pole-to-pole.

In September of that year, Bennu will swing past Earth—not close enough that there’s any risk of an impact, but certainly close enough that Earth’s gravity could nudge the asteroid a bit on ...

Because asteroids like Bennu are comprised of unspoiled material left over from the formation of the planets around 4.5 billion years ago, even studying an asteroid with a young topography like ...

Though the asteroid will make a close approach to Earth in 2135, it won’t yet pose any danger to us. However, in the far future of the year 2300, there is a 1 in 1,1750 chance that the asteroid ...

By traveling to Bennu, NASA researchers reasoned, a probe could gather pristine material. The OSIRIS-REx probe arrived at the 1,850-foot-wide asteroid in 2020, scooped up rock and dirt, and then ...