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

<p></p><p>Hello everyone!</p><p><em>My apologies for being a day late - but this one is worth it! (You might say… IT ROCKS!)</em></p><p>This week on The Cosmic Companion, we explore one of the most-interesting asteroids known, Ryugu. </p><p>The Hayabusa2 spacecraft recently collected samples from this mysterious object, bringing fragments of the rocky body to Earth in December 2020. </p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Listen to the podcast version of this episode here or <strong>watch the video version of this show</strong>.</p><p>Next week on The Cosmic Companion, we start a new series <em>Why We Explore Space - Curing Climate Change</em>. Join us starting on 9 November, as we welcome Alan Gratz, author of <em>Two Degrees</em>, a new children’s book about climate change. Make sure to join us then!</p><p>Clear skies! James</p><p></p><p></p> <br/><br/>Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at <a href="https://thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4">thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe</a>