Japanese and US missions returning samples from the carbon-rich asteroids Ryugu and Bennu are the latest steps in probing our Solar System’s smallest bodies, near and far, for clues to our own origins and directions for our future exploration.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles
$119.00 per year
only $9.92 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Stern, A. et al. in 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conf. 2132 (USRA, 2019); https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2019/pdf/1742.pdf
A’Hearn, M. F. Nat. Astron. 1, 0095 (2017).
Yurimoto, H. et al. Science 333, 1116–1119 (2011).
Nakamura, T. et al. Science 333, 1113–1116 (2011).
Binzel, R., Rivkin, A. S., Bus, S. J., Sunshine, J. M. & Burbine, T. H. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 36, 1167–1172 (2001).
Binzel, R. P. et al. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 39, 351–366 (2004).
Sugita, S. et al. Science https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw0422 (2019).
Lauretta, D. et al. Nature http://doi.org/s41586-019-1033-6 (2019).
Benner, L. A. M., Busch, M. W., Giorgini, J. D., Taylor, P. A. & Margot, J.-L. in Asteroids IV (eds Michel, P. et al.) 107–128 (Univ. Arizona Press, 2015).
Bottke, W. F. et al. Icarus 247, 191–217 (2015).
DellaGiustina, D. et al. Nat. Astron. http://doi.org/s41550-019-0731-1 (2019).
Delbo, M. et al. Nature 508, 233–236 (2014).
Altwegg, K. Science 347, 1261952 (2015).
Zacny, K. et al. SPACE 2012 Conf. and Exposition https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2012-5168 (2012).
Binzel, R. P., Yeomans, D. & Swindle, T. SpaceNews https://spacenews.com/op-ed-a-space-based-survey-not-luck-must-be-our-plan-against-hazardous-asteroids (12 October 2018).
Binzel, R. P. Nature 514, 559–561 (2014).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Binzel, R.P. Small bodies looming large in planetary science. Nat Astron 3, 282–283 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0747-6
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0747-6
This article is cited by
-
Hopes and concerns for astronomy of satellite constellations
Nature Astronomy (2020)