Scientists Uncover Astonishing Secrets of 4.6bn-Year-Old Dark Dust from Bennu Asteroid

Scientists at the Natural History Museum in London have received a teaspoon's worth of dark dust and granules from the Bennu asteroid, which is 4.6 billion years old and dates back to the dawn of the solar system. The material was collected by NASA's Osiris-Rex mission, which briefly touched down on Bennu and returned with over 60g of untouched samples. Preliminary analyses have revealed that the asteroid is rich in carbon and water, with some carbon tied up in organic compounds. Scientists will study the samples to understand the formation of the solar system and the role of asteroids in delivering water to Earth. The research will also contribute to efforts in deflecting or destroying potentially hazardous asteroids.