Astronomy Picture Of The Day Explore the cosmos Every day, a new image or photograph of the universe is presented. A brief explanation by an astronomer is included. 2021 October 23
Explanation: Don your red/blue glasses, and you will be floating next to the asteroid 101955 Bennu. The tiny Solar System world looks like a spinning top, with boulders covering its rough surface. It measures less than 500m across and is the size of one Empire State Building. The frames used in this 3D anaglyph were created by PolyCam from images taken on the OSIRIS_REx spacecraft at a distance of approximately 80 km. OSIRIS_REx carried a sample of the asteroid's rock surface aboard and left Bennu's area in May. It is currently en route to Earth. The robotic spacecraft is expected to return the sample to Earth on September 20, 2023.
