Bennu, the Asteroid's Journey

5 months ago
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On September 11, 1999, Bennu was found by Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) as part of a Near-Earth asteroid survey. The asteroid was identified as a near-Earth asteroid and given the provisional name 1999 RQ36. On September 23, 1999, as Bennu approached Earth closely, Arecibo Observatory and the Goldstone Deep Space Network conducted comprehensive radar imaging observations of Bennu.
In 2012, the University of Arizona, The Planetary Society, and the LINEAR Project held a "Name that Asteroid!" contest that attracted over 8,000 student entries from many nations, with the winning name being Bennu.
Its characteristics will bear mythological bird and bird-like creature names.

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