Free Astronomy Magazine January-February 2021

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 small bodies occurred within the gravitational grip of the Sun, also closely associated with the mythic bird. Fertility is represented by the abundance of organic materials and carbonaceous minerals respon- sible for Bennu’s low albedo, yet another confirmation that the building blocks of life were already present and undergoing complex chemistry in the early solar system. Even the selection of the mythic name “Bennu” for the asteroid im- parts a certain imagery to the story of the OSIRIS-REx mission, from its Phoenix-like launch on 8 Septem- ber 2016, to its grand swooping gravitational assist by its terrestrial nest to speed the journey to Bennu on 22 September 2017, to its or- A mosaic of Bennu composed of twelve images taken from 24 km above its surface. [NASA/God- dard/University of Arizona] bital perching around Bennu on 3 December 2018, to the stalking of its prey for so many months in search of an exposed and accessible patch of regolith. This long flight was re-