An overview of the petrography and petrology of particles from aggregate sample from asteroid Bennu

Harold C. Connolly*, Dante S. Lauretta*, Timothy J. McCoy, Sara S. Russell, Rhian Jones, al et

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The OSIRIS‐REx mission returned a sample of regolith from the carbonaceous asteroid Bennu in September 2023. We present preliminary in situ investigations of the petrology and petrography of selected particles ranging in size from 0.5 to 3 mm. Using a combination of optical and electron beam techniques, we investigate whole specimens and polished sections belonging to morphologically and visually distinct categories of particles. We find that morphological differences in the particles are reflective of petrographic and petrologic differences, leading to the conclusion that we have at least two distinct major lithologies in the bulk sample. Our findings support predictions from remote sensing, suggesting that the morphological differences observed in the boulder population of Bennu correspond to petrologic differences. Our data provide insight into the geologic activity on Bennu's parent body and the petrographic framework needed to contextualize the detailed analyses of this pristine asteroidal material.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1
Number of pages18
JournalMeteoritics and Planetary Science
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Mar 2025

Keywords

  • Bennu
  • asteroids
  • mineralogy
  • petrology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'An overview of the petrography and petrology of particles from aggregate sample from asteroid Bennu'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this