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Tech & Science NASA finally closes in on touchdown spot on messy, rocky asteroid Bennu

06:05  05 december  2019
06:05  05 december  2019 Source:   cnet.com

New evidence suggests a huge asteroid DID hit EARTH 12,800 years ago causing an ice age, wiping out dozens of species and decimating humans

New evidence suggests a huge asteroid DID hit EARTH 12,800 years ago causing an ice age, wiping out dozens of species and decimating humans Evidence to support the theory that one or multiple asteroids impacted the world leading to global cooling and the extinction of large animals has been uncovered at a site north of Pretoria, South Africa.Evidence to support the theory that one or more asteroids triggered global cooling and the extinction of large animals has been uncovered in South Africa.

NASA 's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully touched down and reached out its robotic arm to collect a sample from the surface of near-Earth asteroid Bennu on Tuesday. The sample will be returned to Earth in 2023, a historic first for NASA .

New images taken by the OSIRIS-REx mission show the historic first touchdown of a NASA spacecraft on the near-Earth asteroid Bennu . The spacecraft collected a sample that will be returned to Earth in 2023.

a person in a dark room: This illustration shows Osiris-Rex touching asteroid Bennu during a sample collection operation. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center © Provided by CNET This illustration shows Osiris-Rex touching asteroid Bennu during a sample collection operation. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center We know it can be done. Japan's Hayabusa-2 spacecraft triumphantly scooped up a bit of asteroid Ryugu before heading home. NASA hopes it will soon have similar success with the Osiris-Rex mission currently in residence at asteroid Bennu. It's going to be challenging.

NASA is days away from choosing a sample site for its intrepid spacecraft's sample collection operation, the agency announced on Wednesday. It hasn't been an easy process. In July, NASA narrowed the options down to four sites with bird-themed names: Nightingale, Kingfisher, Osprey and Sandpiper. 

'Killer' asteroids: How to decide if space rocks are as scary as they sound

'Killer' asteroids: How to decide if space rocks are as scary as they sound The ones to worry about are almost never the ones in the alarmist headlines.An artist's impression of the asteroid slamming into the Greenland ice sheet

Spot the Station. NASA Newsletter. After the successful completion of its “Checkpoint” rehearsal, NASA ’s first asteroid -sampling spacecraft is one step closer to touching down on asteroid Bennu .

Touchdown ! NASA makes historic landing on 'doomsday asteroid ' Bennu as OSIRIS-REx extends its 11-foot robotic arm to collect rock NASA 's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has made a historic touchdown on the asteroid Bennu , dodging boulders the size of buildings to collect samples from the surface for

a sign on the side of a building: These are the four potential sample sites on asteroid Bennu. NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona © Provided by CNET These are the four potential sample sites on asteroid Bennu. NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

Osiris-Rex has been performing reconnaissance flybys of the sites, snagging high-resolution images and giving its team plenty of food for thought. 

Bennu is a much messier, rockier place than NASA expected. It's littered with boulders, some of which are as big as buildings. 

The agency had hoped to find a spacious sandy area free of obstacles. "In reality the potential sample sites are not large, clear areas, but rather small spaces surrounded by large boulders, so navigating the spacecraft in and out of the sites will require a bit more fine-tuning than originally planned," said NASA in a release on Wednesday.

This fluffy ball contains the story of the universe

This fluffy ball contains the story of the universe The ghost of a supernova looks like a ball of cotton candy.Last week, NASA released the latest image of Tycho's supernova remnant (also called "Tycho"). The photo, taken by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, looks a bit like an opalescent dandelion.

Bennu is a much messier , rockier place than NASA expected. The agency had hoped to find a spacious sandy area free of obstacles, but the asteroid is littered with boulders, some of which are as big as buildings. "I thought it was going to be a straightforward site selection, and it was nothing of the

NASA 's OSIRIS-REx asteroid probe spent many months flying through space in order to meet up with its target, a large space rock known The spacecraft's mission will be carried out over the next couple of years, but its arrival at Bennu means that we finally get a very close -up shot of the rock itself.

A composite image of Bennu taken from OSIRIS-REx at a distance of 330 km (205 miles). © NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

A composite image of Bennu taken from OSIRIS-REx at a distance of 330 km (205 miles).

Osiris-Rex has a built-in safety system that will abort the sample collection run if the spacecraft detects a potential hazard. The trick will be navigating it down to Bennu's surface in a spot that won't trigger the system. 

"If the spacecraft executes a wave-off while attempting to collect a sample, that simply means that both the team and the spacecraft have done their jobs to ensure the spacecraft can fly another day. The success of the mission is our first priority," said deputy project manager Mike Moreau.

We'll soon know which bird will come out on top. NASA will name a primary and a backup site. Sample collection is scheduled for mid-2020. If all goes well, Osiris-Rex will bring a bit of Bennu back to Earth in late 2023. 

Cosmic dead ringers: 27 super strange-looking space objects

  • a close up of a black background: Join us on a romp through the universe as we look at wondrous images from space, including a Game of Thrones symbol on Mars, Mr. Hankey on Jupiter and moons that look like you could eat them.Saturn has dozens of moons, so it's no wonder at least a few of them remind us of more Earthly objects. The moon Mimas is a sci-fi favorite thanks to its resemblance to the Death Star from Star Wars. Mimas is 246 miles (396 kilometers) in diameter, which is much larger than the Death Star is supposed to be. The large round crater seen on the side here is a dead ringer for the big dish on the Death Star. Update, April 26, 2019: Adds images of comet 67P, Ultima Thule, Jupiter and others.
    1/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    Join us on a romp through the universe as we look at wondrous images from space, including a Game of Thrones symbol on Mars, Mr. Hankey on Jupiter and moons that look like you could eat them.Saturn has dozens of moons, so it's no wonder at least a few of them remind us of more Earthly objects. The moon Mimas is a sci-fi favorite thanks to its resemblance to the Death Star from Star Wars. Mimas is 246 miles (396 kilometers) in diameter, which is much larger than the Death Star is supposed to be. The large round crater seen on the side here is a dead ringer for the big dish on the Death Star. Update, April 26, 2019: Adds images of comet 67P, Ultima Thule, Jupiter and others.
  • a star filled sky: What do you see when you stare at this processed image from the Hubble Space Telescope? If you look closely, you might see a witch's head, with a pointy chin and nose facing to the right, along with the ghost of a hat on top. NASA shared this image of the eerie Witch Head Nebula in mid-2015.
    2/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    What do you see when you stare at this processed image from the Hubble Space Telescope? If you look closely, you might see a witch's head, with a pointy chin and nose facing to the right, along with the ghost of a hat on top. NASA shared this image of the eerie Witch Head Nebula in mid-2015.
  • a close up of a snow covered field: Alien and UFO fans enjoy looking for unusual shapes seen in the rocks of Mars. NASA's Mars Curiosity rover sent back this image in 2016. It doesn't take much imagination to see a fish shape in the circled rock formation. It isn't a fish, but it is a fun coincidence.
    3/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    Alien and UFO fans enjoy looking for unusual shapes seen in the rocks of Mars. NASA's Mars Curiosity rover sent back this image in 2016. It doesn't take much imagination to see a fish shape in the circled rock formation. It isn't a fish, but it is a fun coincidence.
  • a star filled sky: NASA released this uncanny image of the sun as seen by the Solar Dynamics Observatory during the lead-up to Halloween in 2014. The active regions around the sun showed in just the right pattern to make our closest star look like a carved pumpkin jack-o'-lantern.
    4/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    NASA released this uncanny image of the sun as seen by the Solar Dynamics Observatory during the lead-up to Halloween in 2014. The active regions around the sun showed in just the right pattern to make our closest star look like a carved pumpkin jack-o'-lantern.
  • a close up of a tattoo: Citizen scientist Jason Major processed an image taken by NASA's Juno spacecraft in 2017. The rotated image shows two storms that look like eyes and a wide mouth etched into the planet's swirling storm systems. Major gave the image a playful title:
    5/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    Citizen scientist Jason Major processed an image taken by NASA's Juno spacecraft in 2017. The rotated image shows two storms that look like eyes and a wide mouth etched into the planet's swirling storm systems. Major gave the image a playful title: "Jovey McJupiterface."
  • a star filled sky: NASA celebrated Star Trek's 50th anniversary in 2016 with this entertaining image of two nebulae as seen by the Spitzer Space Telescope. The space agency outlined the two most famous versions of the franchise's Enterprise starship, with the original series ship on the right and
    6/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    NASA celebrated Star Trek's 50th anniversary in 2016 with this entertaining image of two nebulae as seen by the Spitzer Space Telescope. The space agency outlined the two most famous versions of the franchise's Enterprise starship, with the original series ship on the right and "The Next Generation" ship on the left. It's a fun resemblance.
  • Saturn's small moon Atlas is an identified orbiting object that happens to look a bit like the classic Earth version of a retro-style UFO piloted by aliens. NASA's Cassini spacecraft caught this view of Atlas in 2017.
    7/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    Saturn's small moon Atlas is an identified orbiting object that happens to look a bit like the classic Earth version of a retro-style UFO piloted by aliens. NASA's Cassini spacecraft caught this view of Atlas in 2017.
  • The Twin Jet Nebula spreads its space wings in this 2015 image from the Hubble Space Telescope. The nebula has two lobes reaching out from a central star system, which makes it look like a winged butterfly suspended out in the cosmos.
    8/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    The Twin Jet Nebula spreads its space wings in this 2015 image from the Hubble Space Telescope. The nebula has two lobes reaching out from a central star system, which makes it look like a winged butterfly suspended out in the cosmos.
  • a close up of a planet: NASA released this Hubble image of Jupiter in 2014 and highlighted its spooky nature just before Halloween. The oval Great Red Spot storm sports a shadow thrown by the moon Ganymede. It makes it look like Jupiter has a cyclopian eye staring out into space.
    9/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    NASA released this Hubble image of Jupiter in 2014 and highlighted its spooky nature just before Halloween. The oval Great Red Spot storm sports a shadow thrown by the moon Ganymede. It makes it look like Jupiter has a cyclopian eye staring out into space.
  • a close up of a beach: Somebody must be hungry on Mars. UFO fans spotted this unusual formation that looks like a spoon on the surface of the red planet. It comes from a photo snapped by NASA's Curiosity rover in 2016. The play of shadows makes the utensil shape really stand out.
    10/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    Somebody must be hungry on Mars. UFO fans spotted this unusual formation that looks like a spoon on the surface of the red planet. It comes from a photo snapped by NASA's Curiosity rover in 2016. The play of shadows makes the utensil shape really stand out.
  • a star filled sky: This spectacular composite image of the Crab Nebula from 2017 includes contributions from five different observatories, including the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. The leg-like formations seen in the nebula help to give it its evocative nickname.
    11/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    This spectacular composite image of the Crab Nebula from 2017 includes contributions from five different observatories, including the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. The leg-like formations seen in the nebula help to give it its evocative nickname.
  • NASA astronaut Jack Fischer took his first trip to the International Space Station in 2017. He snapped this photo of an island and shared it on social media, noting how it looks like the bulbous tip of the friendly alien's finger from the 1982 Steven Spielberg blockbuster E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
    12/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    NASA astronaut Jack Fischer took his first trip to the International Space Station in 2017. He snapped this photo of an island and shared it on social media, noting how it looks like the bulbous tip of the friendly alien's finger from the 1982 Steven Spielberg blockbuster E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
  • Saturn moon Prometheus has a heavily cratered surface and an unusual oblong shape that make it look a lot like a russet potato. This view of Prometheus comes from NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2015. Saturn's F ring is visible as a faint line up at the top of the image.
    13/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    Saturn moon Prometheus has a heavily cratered surface and an unusual oblong shape that make it look a lot like a russet potato. This view of Prometheus comes from NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2015. Saturn's F ring is visible as a faint line up at the top of the image.
  • The Hubble Space Telescope got a good look at the Horsehead Nebula in 2013. The nebula gets its nickname because it resembles a horse's head and neck, with the nose facing to the left in this image. The scenic formation is located about 1,500 light-years away in the Orion constellation.
    14/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    The Hubble Space Telescope got a good look at the Horsehead Nebula in 2013. The nebula gets its nickname because it resembles a horse's head and neck, with the nose facing to the left in this image. The scenic formation is located about 1,500 light-years away in the Orion constellation.
  • a close up of a keyboard: Asteroid 2017 BQ6 passed by in early 2017 at a safe distance from our planet, but it was still close enough to appear in radar images taken from Earth. NASA asteroid researcher Lancer Benner noted how the asteroid resembles a set of tumbling dice like those used for playing Dungeons & Dragons.
    15/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    Asteroid 2017 BQ6 passed by in early 2017 at a safe distance from our planet, but it was still close enough to appear in radar images taken from Earth. NASA asteroid researcher Lancer Benner noted how the asteroid resembles a set of tumbling dice like those used for playing Dungeons & Dragons.
  • a star in the middle of the night: The Hubble Space Telescope looked to the stars in 2013 and found a character from the classic video game Space Invaders.
    16/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    The Hubble Space Telescope looked to the stars in 2013 and found a character from the classic video game Space Invaders. "The gravitational field surrounding this massive cluster of galaxies, Abell 68, acts as a natural lens in space to brighten and magnify the light coming from very distant background galaxies," the Space Telescope Science Institute says. "Like a funhouse mirror, lensing creates a fantasy landscape of arc-like images and mirror images of background galaxies."
  • Saturn's bite-size moon Pan looks a lot like a piece of ravioli pasta. This image of the 17-mile-across (28 kilometers) moon comes from NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2017. Cassini imaging chief Carolyn Porco tweeted a list of all the foods the little moon seems to resemble, including tortellini, an empanada, a pierogi and a hamburger. Unfortunately, Pan is not edible.
    17/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    Saturn's bite-size moon Pan looks a lot like a piece of ravioli pasta. This image of the 17-mile-across (28 kilometers) moon comes from NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2017. Cassini imaging chief Carolyn Porco tweeted a list of all the foods the little moon seems to resemble, including tortellini, an empanada, a pierogi and a hamburger. Unfortunately, Pan is not edible.
  • a star filled sky: A pulsar lies at the heart of this nebula image captured by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. NASA released the image, which shows the nebula looking like a reaching hand, in 2009.
    18/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    A pulsar lies at the heart of this nebula image captured by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. NASA released the image, which shows the nebula looking like a reaching hand, in 2009. "The pulsar is a rapidly spinning neutron star which is spewing energy out into the space around it to create complex and intriguing structures, including one that resembles a large cosmic hand," the observatory noted.
  • Saturn's moon Tethys has a classic spherical look, but it also sports a large crater that makes it resemble a giant eyeball out in space. A set of peaks in the center form an
    19/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    Saturn's moon Tethys has a classic spherical look, but it also sports a large crater that makes it resemble a giant eyeball out in space. A set of peaks in the center form an "iris." The crater is named Odysseus. NASA highlighted this Cassini spacecraft view of Tethys in early 2017.
  • Dwarf planet Pluto displays an interesting surface in this 2016 image from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft. It shows an icy-plains region with a strange black formation near the center. That formation may look a lot like an Earth slug, but NASA notes it's
    20/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    Dwarf planet Pluto displays an interesting surface in this 2016 image from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft. It shows an icy-plains region with a strange black formation near the center. That formation may look a lot like an Earth slug, but NASA notes it's "likely a dirty block of water ice 'floating' in denser solid nitrogen."
  • a close up of a black background: The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft visited Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014. Views from a distance revealed a space rock that looked a bit like a rubber duck, but this closer view resembles a cosmic cat staring off into space.
    21/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft visited Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014. Views from a distance revealed a space rock that looked a bit like a rubber duck, but this closer view resembles a cosmic cat staring off into space.
  • NASA's New Horizons spacecraft visited Ultima Thule, a contact binary primordial space rock, in early 2019. Initial views made it look very much like a space snowman, but later looks revealed more of a pancake appearance.
    22/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    NASA's New Horizons spacecraft visited Ultima Thule, a contact binary primordial space rock, in early 2019. Initial views made it look very much like a space snowman, but later looks revealed more of a pancake appearance.
  • A team at the University of Arizona runs the HiRise camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. They got a case of Game of Thrones fever while viewing these dust avalanches on the red planet. The team suggested the black shape looks like the direwolf sigil for House Stark.
    23/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    A team at the University of Arizona runs the HiRise camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. They got a case of Game of Thrones fever while viewing these dust avalanches on the red planet. The team suggested the black shape looks like the direwolf sigil for House Stark.
  • a close up of a rock: Mars' South Polar region looks very soft and welcoming in this NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter view from late 2018. What we're seeing is a set of curved ridges of mysterious origin, but it also looks like what you would find if you put your face up close to a '70s shag carpet.
    24/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    Mars' South Polar region looks very soft and welcoming in this NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter view from late 2018. What we're seeing is a set of curved ridges of mysterious origin, but it also looks like what you would find if you put your face up close to a '70s shag carpet.
  • This processed image of Jupiter comes from NASA's Juno's spacecraft with some enhancement work by Kevin Gill. What's really noticeable is the brown formation among the planet's swirls. If you're a South Park fan, you know exactly what it looks like: Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo.
    25/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    This processed image of Jupiter comes from NASA's Juno's spacecraft with some enhancement work by Kevin Gill. What's really noticeable is the brown formation among the planet's swirls. If you're a South Park fan, you know exactly what it looks like: Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo.
  • NASA captured radar images of asteroid 2003 SD220 in late 2018 and discovered what looked like a space hippopotamus. The near-Earth object passed by at a safe distance, but its amusing shape left a lasting impression.
    26/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    NASA captured radar images of asteroid 2003 SD220 in late 2018 and discovered what looked like a space hippopotamus. The near-Earth object passed by at a safe distance, but its amusing shape left a lasting impression.
  • a circuit board: Astronauts on the International Space Station released a satellite called RemoveDebris in mid-2018. Star Trek fans everywhere got goosebumps. The satellite could pass for a mini version of a cube-shaped Borg spaceship. RemoveDebris was much less threatening. It went on to demonstrate methods for capturing orbital garbage.
    27/27 SLIDES © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
    Astronauts on the International Space Station released a satellite called RemoveDebris in mid-2018. Star Trek fans everywhere got goosebumps. The satellite could pass for a mini version of a cube-shaped Borg spaceship. RemoveDebris was much less threatening. It went on to demonstrate methods for capturing orbital garbage.

How to activate dark mode for Facebook .
acebook has begun rolling out a darker way to keep up with your friends and family – here's how to try it.It's not just about looks – researchers from Google have found that pixel color has a direct effect on power draw, with black pixels using significantly less energy than white ones. Switching Facebook's bright, white interface to something darker could therefore help your mobile devices last noticeably longer between chargers.

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