Asteroid · 101955

Bennu

Samples returned to Earth

OSIRIS-REx collected material from this rubble-pile asteroid and returned it to Earth. The samples allow laboratory measurements that remote observations cannot provide.

101955 Bennu · spacecraft or telescope observation
OSIRIS-REx image of Bennu’s boulder-covered surface. NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona · Image source ↗

Explore the shape

NASA visualization model. Shape and surface appearance are reference representations, not live observations. · NASA Visualization Technology Applications and Development (VTAD) ↗

Understand this world

Why bring asteroid material home?Connect an asteroid’s sampled surface to laboratory measurements of salts and organic compounds, with the limits of those interpretations. · 3 min

Measurements

Effective diameter
0.484 km
Semimajor axis
1.126 AU
Orbital period
436.649 Earth days
Orbit, physical values and uncertainties
eccentricity
.2037450762416414 ± 6.9748E-11
semi-major axis
1.126391025894812 au ± 1.9673E-10
perihelion distance
.8968944004459729 au ± 2.3047E-10
inclination; angle with respect to x-y ecliptic plane
6.03494377024794 deg ± 6.8601E-9
longitude of the ascending node
2.06086619569642 deg ± 5.5577E-8
argument of perihelion
66.22306084084298 deg ± 6.4419E-8
mean anomaly
101.703952002457 deg ± 4.2749E-8
time of perihelion passage
2455439.141940872670 TDB ± 2.2536E-8
sidereal orbital period
436.6487281120201 d ± 1.144E-7
mean motion
.8244613503320309 deg/d ± 2.16E-10
aphelion distance
1.355887651343651 au ± 2.3681E-10
absolute magnitude
20.21 ± 0.03
magnitude slope
-0.031 ± 0.009
diameter
0.48444 km ± 0.00030
extent
0.5047 x 0.4918 x 0.4567 km ± 0.002 x 0.002 x 0.002
GM
4.8904e-9 km^3/s^2 ± 0.0009e-9
bulk density
1.194 g/cm^3 ± 0.003
rotation period
4.296061 h ± 0.000002
rotational acceleration
6.34e-8 rad/d^2 ± 0.91e-8
pole direction
85.4522/-60.3678 ± 0.0003/0.0001
geometric albedo
0.044 ± 0.002
thermal inertia
300 J/m^2/s^0.5/K ± 30
B-V
0.64 ± 0.04
U-B
0.16 ± 0.05
I-R
-0.33 ± 0.06
SMASSII spectral type
B

Published JPL orbital elements describe their stated epoch; they are not current positions. Small-body diameters can be effective/model-dependent sizes, not spherical shapes. Missing measurements remain unavailable. Pluto’s diameter uses the New Horizons reference rather than an empty SBDB field. Orbital epoch: JD 2455562.5 TDB.

Object reference ↗

Missions & milestones

1 launches · 8 connected events

These are target-related flights and every connected programme record in the production catalogue. A connected event may concern another stage or target of the same journey. Launch outcome does not establish arrival or current operation.

CONNECTED EVENT

OSIRIS-Rex science results media call

January 29, 2025 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

OSIRIS-REx Sample Reveal Press Conference

October 11, 2023 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

OSIRIS-Rex Postlanding news conference

September 24, 2023 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

OSIRIS-Rex Sample Return

September 24, 2023 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

OSIRIS-Rex Prelanding media call

September 22, 2023 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

OSIRIS-Rex Departure from Asteroid Bennu

May 10, 2021 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

OSIRIS-Rex Matchpoint rehearsal activities

August 11, 2020 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

OSIRIS-Rex Sample Collection Site Announcement

December 12, 2019 · UTC

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TARGET-RELATED FLIGHT

OSIRIS-REx

September 8, 2016 · UTC

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Complete source cohort: 9,386 records.

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