The Solar System - Word Search - PUZZLE #53 OSIRIS-REX - August 2025

PUZZLE #53 - OSIRIS-REX 

IN-CONTEXT WORD DEFINITIONS

Bennu: Bennu is the target asteroid of the OSIRIS-REx mission. It's a carbonaceous, near-Earth asteroid classified as a B-type, meaning it's rich in carbon and volatile-rich materials. OSIRIS-REx studied Bennu extensively, gathered samples from its surface, and delivered them back to Earth.

TAGSAM: TAGSAM stands for "Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism." This is the instrument used by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to collect samples from Bennu's surface. It involved a robotic arm briefly touching the asteroid's surface, firing a burst of nitrogen gas to stir up regolith, and capturing the ejected material in a collection head.

Organic Molecules: The samples returned from Bennu by OSIRIS-REx were found to contain various "organic molecules," which are complex carbon-containing compounds. These include amino acids and nucleobases. The presence of these molecules on Bennu supports the idea that asteroids could have delivered the building blocks of life to early Earth.

Yarkovsky: Yarkovsky Effect is a force that affects the orbit of small celestial bodies, including asteroids like Bennu. It arises from the uneven heating of the asteroid's surface by the Sun, causing it to radiate heat anisotropically. This subtle thermal force can cause the asteroid's orbit to slowly drift over time, which is important for understanding Bennu's trajectory and potential impact risk with Earth.

Chondrites: Bennu is classified as a carbonaceous chondrite asteroid. "Chondrites" are stony meteorites that have not been significantly melted or differentiated since their formation. They contain small, spherical particles called chondrules and are among the most primitive materials in the Solar System, offering clues about the conditions present during the formation of the planets.

Nucleobases: Among the organic molecules discovered in the Bennu samples were "nucleobases." These are key components of DNA and RNA, the genetic material of life on Earth. Their presence on an asteroid reinforces the hypothesis that extraterrestrial sources might have contributed to the origin of life.

Prebiotic: This term refers to chemical processes and molecules that existed before the emergence of life. The discovery of organic molecules like amino acids and nucleobases on Bennu provides evidence for "prebiotic" chemistry occurring on asteroids in the early Solar System, potentially setting the stage for the origin of life on Earth.

Parent Body: Scientists believe that Bennu originated from a larger "parent body" that formed in the early Solar System and later fragmented due to collisions. The study of Bennu's composition helps to understand the nature of this larger precursor asteroid.

Apophis: While not a target of OSIRIS-REx, the mission's spacecraft (now renamed OSIRIS-APEX) is on an extended mission to study the asteroid Apophis. Apophis is another near-Earth asteroid that poses a very small, but non-zero, chance of impacting Earth in the distant future. Studying Apophis allows the mission to apply the expertise gained from Bennu to another potentially hazardous object.

Secret Word: The OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule landed safely in the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) in the United States in September 2023. This remote, secure location was chosen for the recovery of the valuable asteroid samples.