Bennu Asteroid Samples Puzzle Scientists with Unusual Composition

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission Reveals High Amounts of Carbon, Water, and Rare Combination of Elements in Asteroid Samples

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft returned samples from asteroid Bennu two months ago, which have been analyzed to reveal an unusual composition.
The samples contain high amounts of carbon, water, magnesium, sodium, and phosphorus, a combination that is puzzling scientists.
The largest sample analyzed so far is a 3.5-centimeter rock, which was found outside the main sample canister.
Scientists have cataloged over 1,000 Bennu samples, only counting those larger than half a millimeter.
NASA is currently creating a special screwdriver to access the heart of the sample canister, which is expected to contain more material for analysis.