The image was captured by the US space agency's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on June 13, showing half of the rock brightened by sunlight while the other half sits in the shadows. This is the second time the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has put itself into orbit around the asteroid, snapping a shot at a distance of 0.4 miles from the asteroid's surface. Asteroids, which orbit the sun but are much smaller than planets, are among the oldest objects in the solar system and could provide answers about how Earth evolved. (Image: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona)It is believed that Bennu was originally part of a much larger asteroid which it broke away from around 700 million to two billion years ago. Scientists claim Bennu has a 1 in 2,700 chance of striking Earth next century, between the years 2175 and 2199.

Source: Daily Mirror June 19, 2019 14:05 UTC