AstronomyPicture of the Day—20181215

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2018December 15

3DBennu

ImageCredit: NASA, GSFC, U. Arizona - Stereo Image Copyright: Patrick Vantuyne

Explanation:Put on your red/blue glasses and float next to asteroid 101955 Bennu. Shapedlike a spinning top toy with boulders littering its rough surface, the tinySolar System world is about 1 Empire State Building (less than 500 meters)across. Frames used to construct this 3D anaglyph were taken by PolyCam onboard the OSIRIS_REx spacecraft on December 3 from a distance of about 80kilometers. Now settling in to explore Bennu from orbit, the OSIRIS-REx missionis expected to deliver samples of the asteroid to planet Earth in 2023. Samplesof dust from another asteroid will streak through Earth's atmosphere muchsooner though, when the Geminid meteor shower peaks in predawn skies onDecember 14. The parent body for the annual Geminids is asteroid 3200 Phaethon.