ASSIGNED READING 1:

NASA/JPL Center for Near Earth Object Studies. NEO Search Program.
cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/about/search_program.htm

1. Define NEO and briefly describe how NEOs how discovered using digital
images. Describe how a nearby NEO can be distinguished from a more distant
NEO.
NEOs stand for near earth objects. They were discovered in the early days by taking
images of the same area of the sky several minutes apart. These images are then
compared. While most of the things seen were stars and galaxies which don't move,
occasionally, scientists would discover a moving NEO as they changed positions for
every page. The distance the NEO moves from one image to the next as well as the
direction and brightness can be used to determine its distance from the Earth. If an
object moves rapidly from one image to the next, it is probably very close to the
Earth.

2. State the goals of both NASA and Congress for the NEO Observations
program. State the approximate number of NEOs expected to be larger than
1km and larger than 140m. Click on the Discovery Statistics menu in the top-
right corner, then use the graph to obtain a rough estimate of the % NEOs
discovered in each category (1km+ and 140m+).
NASA established a goal to discover 90% of the NEOS larger than one kilometer in
diameter in 2005. Congress then extended that goal to include 90% of NEOs larger
than 140m. There are thought to be about 1000 NEOs larger than 1km and 15,000
larger than 140m. 39% of NEOs discovered are over 140m in size and 3.79% are
larger than 1km in size.

ASSIGNED READING 2
National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA). (August 2016). OSIRIS-Rex Asteroid
Sample Return Mission: Press Kit. www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/osiris-
rex_press_kit.pdf Assigned sections: Meet Bennu (pg. 6); Why Bennu (pg. 7); Bennu and
Planetary Defense (pg. 15).

1. State the year of Bennu’s discovery, the name of the discovery program, the
origin of Bennu’s name, how long Bennu takes to orbit the Sun, and the length
of a day on Bennu.
The Lincoln Laboratory Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) project, part of
NASA’s NEO Observations Program survey, discovered the asteroid on Sep. 11,
1999. Bennu was named by then third-grader Michael Puzio during an international
student contest. It was named after the Egyptian mythological deity linked to rebirth
and is depicted as a heron. Bennu takes 1.2 Earth years to orbit the Sun and one day
is 4.288 hours.
2. Use the distance between Bennu and the Sun to determine the planets between
which Bennu orbits. You can find the distances to the planets (in units of AU)
at nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/planet_table_ratio.html. (Note:
‘perihelion’ and ‘aphelion’ refer to a planet’s nearest and furthest distance from
the Sun, respectively.)
 Bennu orbits between Earth and Mars
3. The reading states that Bennu is “the best choice for OSIRIS-REx’s destination
asteroid” owing to its “accessibility, size, and composition”. Justify this
statement by describing the features of Bennu in each of these categories.
Bennu is near the Earth and ranges from 0.9 to 1.3 AU from the sun and has an
inclination of only 6 degrees different from Earth’s. Bennu is also big enough that it
has a slower rotation. Small asteroids often have fast rotations which make it difficult
for the spacecraft to get into close proximity to the asteroid. A slow rotation means
that OSIRIS-REx can easily collect a sample. Finally, telescopic measurements show
that Bennu’s surface is rich in carbon and can contain volatiles and organic
molecules which may have contributed to the formation of life on Earth.
4. What does it mean to say that Bennu is a ‘PHA’? Describe the distance and
size of a PHA.
PHA means that Bennu is a potentially hazardous asteroid. A PHA is an asteroid that
is predicted to come within 0.5 AU or Earth’s orbit and is big enough to survive
atmospheric entry and cause damage to Earth’s surface.
5. Describe the probability of an impact with Bennu. What is the source of
uncertainty in this prediction? How might OSIRIS-REx contribute to this
knowledge?
The probability of impact with Bennu is 0.037% or a 1 in 2700 chance. The asteroid
is expected to pass slightly within the moon’s orbit which will change Bennu’s orbit by
a small amount. This is the uncertainty in the prediction. OSIRIS-REx’s observations
on Bennu will allow scientists to update orbital predictions and revise the future
impact probabilities.
6. What is the PDCO and what are its objectives? Does it only support the U.S. or
is it an international collaboration? In what way is OSIRIS-REx a ‘pathfinder’ in
these objectives?
The PDCO stands for Planetary Defense Coordination Office and is a collaboration
between NASA and other space agencies. Its objective is to protect the planet from
potentially hazardous comets and asteroids. OSIRIS-REx is a pathfinder for future
spacecraft that will be more specifically designed to perform reconnaissance on any
newly-discovered objects that could pose a threat of impact to the Earth.