Scientists find fragments of one asteroid on the surface of another

Why it matters: The new finding — detailed in the journal Nature Astronomy — gives researchers some insight into the origins of Bennu, a space rock that’s actually a collection of rubble that came together after a huge collision, NASA said.

How it works: Scientists found evidence of the rocks from Vesta in photos taken by OSIRIS-REx, a spacecraft in orbit around Bennu now.

The big picture: The asteroid belt is a messy place. Asteroids often show signs of interactions with one another. Vesta, for example, has dark material on the walls of its craters that is thought to come from another object.

What’s next: OSIRIS-REx is expected to touch down on Bennu next month to collect a sample that will be delivered back to Earth in 2023.

President Trump repeatedly refused to say on Wednesday whether he would commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses the election to Joe Biden, saying at a press briefing: “We’re going to have to see what happens.”

The big picture: Trump has baselessly claimed on a number of occasions that the only way he will lose the election is if it’s “rigged,” claiming — without evidence — that mail-in ballots will result in widespread fraud. Earlier on Wednesday, the president said he wants to quickly confirm a replacement for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg because he believes the Supreme Court may have to decide the result of the election.

A grand jury has indicted Brett Hankison, one of the Louisville police officers who entered Breonna Taylor’s home in March, on three counts of wanton endangerment for firing shots blindly into neighboring apartments.

The state of play: Angering protesters, the grand jury did not indict any of the three officers involved in the botched drug raid on homicide or manslaughter charges related to the death of Taylor.

Source: https://www.axios.com/asteroid-fragments-7d53cd9e-0eac-4010-add5-620d8db0a8d7.html

Asteroid, 101955 Bennu, NASA, Asteroid belt, 4 Vesta, OSIRIS-REx, Earth