Overview

• Three peer-reviewed papers report that Bennu contains presolar stardust, organic matter likely formed in interstellar space, and high‑temperature minerals from closer to the Sun.
• Isotopic and chemical evidence points to a parent body that formed in a distant, icy region of the early solar system, possibly beyond Jupiter and Saturn.
• Approximately 80% of the analyzed minerals record low‑temperature reactions with liquid water, indicating minerals formed, dissolved, and reformed over time.
• Microscopic craters and tiny impact melts show micrometeorite bombardment and solar‑wind effects altered surfaces faster than previously expected.
• Similarities to Ryugu samples and primitive meteorites suggest a shared formation zone that changed over time or was not well mixed, with OSIRIS‑REx’s 2023 return of ~120 g enabling these analyses.