Ryugu and the Giant Laser! w/ Argonne's Esen Ercan Alp and Barbara Levina from the University of Chicago

Hello everyone!My apologies for being a day late - but this one is worth it! (You might say… IT ROCKS!)This week on The Cosmic Companion, we explore one of the most-interesting asteroids known, Ryugu. The Hayabusa2 spacecraft recently collected samples from this mysterious object, bringing fragments of the rocky body to Earth in December 2020. Ryugu could help researchers uncover the mysteries of the early Solar System, as examination shows this asteroid was likely born as our planets were still in their infancies. The makeup of Ryugu is similar to breccia rocks, a type of sedimentary stone formed on Earth as piles of various types of rocks merge together.This ancient asteroid likely formed from the breakup of a larger body long ago, in the early days of our Solar System. Quickly rotating, this intriguing asteroid developed a bulge near its equator, giving Ryugu a faceted shape, similar to a loose diamond.Listen to the podcast version of this episode here or watch the video version of this show.Next week on The Cosmic Companion, we start a new series Why We Explore Space - Curing Climate Change. Join us starting on 9 November, as we welcome Alan Gratz, author of Two Degrees, a new children’s book about climate change. Make sure to join us then!Clear skies! James This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aicreatorhouse.substack.com/subscribe