Solving Asteroid Bennu's Mysteries

X-ray computed tomography scans released on March 17, 2026, reveal the interior of asteroid Bennu and highlight common crack networks that helped resolve a long-standing puzzle.

When the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft arrived at Bennu in 2018, scientists expected smooth, sandy surfaces but instead found the asteroid covered in boulders.

Earlier observations from 2007 by the Spitzer Space Telescope measured low thermal inertia—behavior like a sandy beach—which conflicted with the presence of many large rocks that should retain heat and cool more slowly.

Survey data from OSIRIS-REx suggested the boulders might be far more porous than previously thought, and once samples reached Earth researchers used the XCT scans to investigate and reconcile what was expected with what was actually found on Bennu.

bennu, osiris-rex, xct scans, boulders, porosity, thermal inertia, spitzer, sandy surfaces, crack networks, samples