Named Bennu\, this ancient\, carbon-rich w orld rises higher than the Empire State Building and stretches nearly the length of five and a half American football fields. More than a celestial curiosity\, Bennu is a pristine archive of the organic chemistry and volat ile materials that circulated as planets were forming.
\nIn his new memoir\, The Asteroid Hunter: A Scientist&rsquo\;s Journey to the Dawn of Our Solar System\, planetary scientist Dr. Dante Lauretta\, princ ipal investigator of NASA&rsquo\;s OSIRIS-REx mission\, pulls back the cur tain on the daring\, high-stakes effort to rendezvous with Bennu and retur n a sample to Earth. With that sample in hand\, Dr. Lauretta and his team are now investigating the asteroid&rsquo\;s physical and chemical properti es\, refining assessments of its long-term impact risk\, evaluating its re source potential\, and probing the molecular and isotopic clues that link small bodies to the emergence of habitable worlds.
\nJoin us on Zoom for an in-depth conversation with Dr. Lauretta\, moderated by Monica Youn g\, News Editor at Sky &\; Telescope. A Q&\;A will follow.< /p>\n
For adults. Registration required. Contact \;Ari \;at apappas@minlib.net with any questi ons.
\nhttps://dedhamlibrary.libnet.info/event/16040431 URL;VALUE=URI:https://dedhamlibrary.libnet.info/event/16040431 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/dedhamlibrary/Astroid_Hunt er_Communico_1_.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR