Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Bennu's Surprising Boulders Reveal Ancient Amino Acids

3/20/2026

50 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission shows Bennu's thermal properties can be better understood through direct sample analysis.
Bennu is a rugged asteroid with large boulders, contrary to predictions of a smoother surface.
Researchers led by Andrew Ryan found Bennu's boulders are porous and exhibit extensive crack networks via X-ray tomography.
The amino acids in the samples suggest they may be older than our solar system.

1 of 1

Story summary

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission shows Bennu's thermal properties can be better understood through direct sample analysis.
Bennu is a rugged asteroid with large boulders, contrary to predictions of a smoother surface.
Researchers led by Andrew Ryan found Bennu's boulders are porous and exhibit extensive crack networks via X-ray tomography.
The amino acids in the samples suggest they may be older than our solar system.