An expedition to robotically retrieve a sample from a near-Earth asteroid was conducting routine observations when it unexpectedly spotted a distant black hole belching out X-rays.
The surprise detection is a valuable example of how many scientific discoveries can happen in unanticipated ways, said Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at MIT who is one of the scientists working with the REXIS instrument.
"We set out to train students how to build and operate space instruments," he said in a statement."It turns out, the greatest lesson is to always be open to discovering the unexpected.", is scheduled to return to Earth in 2023. Bennu is thought to be a relic from the early days of the solar system. The diamond-shaped space rock measures about one-third of a mile at its equator and orbits at an average distance of about 100 million miles from the sun.
According to NASA, the mission could help astronomers understand how planets and other cosmic objects formed in the solar system, and it could help researchers study near-Earth asteroids that pose a threat to the planet.
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