Bennu's Fragile Heart: NASA Mission Reveals Asteroid's Weak Interior, Raising Impact Concerns

New insights from NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission have drastically altered our understanding of asteroid Bennu, revealing a much weaker interior than previously imagined. This groundbreaking discovery suggests that if this potentially hazardous space rock were ever to collide with Earth, its internal structure is so fragile it would shatter like a cosmic egg, rather than maintaining its integrity.

Scientists meticulously analyzed data collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, specifically observing how Bennu's shape subtly deformed under the stress of its own rapid rotation.

This phenomenon, akin to a spinning ball of play-doh flattening at its poles, provided crucial clues about the asteroid's internal composition and cohesion. The conclusion? Bennu's internal strength is remarkably low, raising significant implications for planetary defense strategies.

Before this mission, many models for asteroid impacts assumed a certain degree of internal robustness.

However, Bennu's newfound fragility challenges these long-held assumptions. Instead of a solid, compact body, the research indicates Bennu is more akin to a loosely packed 'rubble pile' – a celestial aggregation of rocks and dust barely held together by weak gravitational forces and minimal cohesion.

This 'weak link' makes it highly susceptible to destruction upon impact.

Understanding the internal strength of asteroids like Bennu is not just academic; it's vital for protecting our planet. If we ever need to deflect a threatening asteroid, knowing whether it will behave as a solid object or a fragile aggregate dictates the most effective intervention strategy.

A 'rubble pile' would react very differently to a kinetic impactor or a gravitational tractor than a monolithic asteroid.

The OSIRIS-REx mission, which successfully collected a precious sample from Bennu's surface and is now en route back to Earth, continues to yield invaluable data. This latest revelation about Bennu's delicate internal structure underscores the complexity of celestial bodies and the continuous need for deeper space exploration to safeguard our future.

It's a stark reminder that even seemingly solid objects in space can harbor surprising weaknesses beneath their ancient exteriors.