Bennu: 'Most dangerous asteroid' sample arrives in UK | BBC News

Fragments from the asteroid US space agency Nasa has described as the most dangerous rock in the Solar System have arrived in the UK for study.

The tiny pieces of rock and dust from the object known as Bennu will be subjected to tests at the Natural History Museum, and the Open, Manchester and Oxford universities.

The sample was scooped up from the surface of 500m-wide asteroid Bennu in 2020 by Nasa's Osiris-Rex spacecraft, and then delivered by capsule to the Utah desert two months ago.

#Nasa #Bennu #BBCNews

[Duckfisher]

"Most dangerous asteroid" sample... I'm like... why?

[piccalillipit]

*this tiny sample - smaller than a government ministers brain - is telling us so much about the universe*

[dhickey]

The tribute goes to the scientists and engineers working to make this possible. Most probes sent to the moon fail to land. Imagine the effort to reach an asteroid in space, collect samples, and power its way back to Earth.

[Duane_Day]

goosebumps!. Amino acids? Nucleotides? complex organic molecules? A treasure trove of information in every miniscule sample.

[HOXHOXHOX]

Ummm, why exactly is it dangerous again?

[MyScotty]

This to me is mans best engineering achievement ever! Think about what they did its unbelievable

[daviddooling]

I used to worry about the earth getting whacked by an asteroid. While that may well happen, I'm sure crazed humans will annihilate one another long before it strikes.

[kenwittlief]

there's two things that dont make sense here

todays news indicates there are still two screws holding the cover on the sterile sample container, that wont come off

The material that was outside the container was not held in the sterile container so it has been contaminated once the probe returned to Earth, but scientists are analyzing those samples anyway and making public statements.

But here's the real thing: when the probe picked up the samples, it did not put them in that canister by taking the cover off, and then putting the cover on and inserting those 24 screws (2 of which are stuck)... Something on the probe opened the canister to allow the sample to enter, and then closed it.

So why cant they just tell the probe to OPEN THE CANISTER AGAIN the same way it did when it picked up the samples?!

[honeybunch]

Could they not have given them a smaller sample? 😂

[HowP]

Just Reported this video for "Misinformation" - if you're going to use clickbait to say the asteroid is "dangerous" you at least need to explain why.

[Anuchan]

I hope the minerals don't turn out to be valuable. Otherwise billionaires will claw each other trying to get NASA to redirect it on a collision course with the US.

[assail]

incredibly old fragments of rock here in our modern time. amazing

[jelly_fischer]

Why is it dangerous???? never explained

[edwardfletcher]

How exactly is it "Dangerous" ?.... SIGH

[lv_m]

Are you sure it represents Bennu asteroid well?
It has been gathered from external layer of asteroid that was affected by external factors I would say a lot.

[ccreams]

Lol. The BBC lowering themselves to click bait Youtube titles (I guess you got to move with the times) But doesn't even bother clarifying its said title. Interesting piece apart from that.

[johnhmielewski]

Imagine they find and bring back a tiny pebble like this from an asteroid or just floating in space by itself one day that weighs as much as a semi truck.

[straypadawan]

It'll probably incite more questions rather than answers. Maybe those are the answers you're looking for, more questions.

[SamTheGamer]

Sorry, why is this "the most Dangerous Asteroid"? BBC Clickbait. Tut tut tut :)

[yoshisquid]

Not miles, kilometres! We don't have to measure anymore with thumbs and feet..