An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A → Near-Earth Object (NEO) which is a → B-type asteroid with a ~ 500 m diameter. Bennu completes an orbit around the Sun every 436.604 days (1.2 years) and every 6 years comes very close to Earth, within 0.002 → astronomical units. Bennu’s composition (primitive and carbon-rich), size and proximity to Earth make it the ideal target for the → OSIRIS-REx project. Bennu is officially classified as a potentially dangerous asteroid. In fact, there’s an 0.037 percent (or 1-in-2,700) chance that it will strike Earth in the last quarter of the 22nd century.

See also: Named after the Egyptian mythological bird Bennu.