
OSIRIS-REx asteroid samples will land on Earth in 2023 and scientists can't wait
In just under a year, on Sept. 24, 2023, the OSIRIS-REx sample collector — a basket full of asteroid dust and rocks — will return to Earth's surface.
Asteroids are space rocks thought to be the remains left over from the formation of the solar system. They range in size from tiny (the size of a car or so) to truly giant, with at least one - Ceres - gaining dwarf planet status. In our solar system, billions of asteroids are in the asteroid belt, a region around the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Others stray from this region, and can potentially post an impact threat to the Earth. At least one interstellar asteroid, called 'Oumuamua, has passed through our solar system. Learn more about asteroids here.
Related Topics: Comets, Meteors, Shooting Stars and Fireballs, Rosetta Spacecraft