NASA Keeps Promise, Bennu's Asteroid Will Soon Be Exhibited In Three Museums

NASA provides several samples of asteroid Bennu to be exhibited at three museums (photo: dock. NASA)

JAKARTA - In accordance with NASA's promise a few weeks ago, asteroid Bennu will soon be shown to the public. The first place that will show off Bennu's sample is the National Museum of Natural History.

Quoting fromCollectspace,Smithsonianwill open its exhibition on November 3 at a special meteroit gallery, part of the Hall of Geology, Permata, and Mineral Janet Annenberg Hooker.

Apart frommen, other samples will also be exhibited at the Museum of Permata and Mineralhiry Norville University of Arizona and at the JohnsonNASA Space Center. However, there is no information regarding the opening date of the exhibitions in these two places.

Bennu asteroid first arrived on Earth on September 24. This asteroid is carried by Origin, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx).

After OSIRIS-REx managed to bring Bennu back in exploration for 7 years and gave NASA the first asteroid sample, the rover mission ended.

Currently, Bennu is still being researched to find out the beginning of the formation of the solar system. Scientists have released their first findings from asteroid Bennu regarding the content in it.

Unlike asteroids in general, Bennu has such a rich carbon content. This carbon makes researchers suspect that organic molecules similar to life triggers are contained there.

Despite having examined a small part of their sample, NASA still has problems collecting the remaining Bennu samples. The reason is, the Mechanism of Acquisition of Touch-and-Go Samples (TAGSAM) in the sample container cannot be opened.

The researchers found it difficult to open the rest of the levies in TAGSAM because their opening tools could not enter the lovebox, a tight storage area for Bennu samples.

Therefore, NASA temporarily suspended collecting samples until they found an alternative opening without creating a nitrogen flow in the sample exposed to the atmosphere.