4.5 billion-year-old asteroid sample "Bennu" now on display at Space Center Houston

HOUSTON, Texas -- Space Center Houston, the official visitor center to NASA Johnson Space Center, has a new exhibit that's 4.5 billion years old.

The video above is from ABC13's 24/7 livestream.

What you need to know

A sample of asteroid "Bennu" is the center of the OSIRIS-REx display in the venue's main plaza, and opened to the public on March 1.

Short for NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer spacecraft, the OSIRIS-REx was a seven-year-long mission to the asteroid. These collected samples are meant to help tell scientists how the planets were formed and improve their understanding of asteroids that could impact Earth, according to a news release.

Quote of note

William T. Harris, president, and CEO of Space Center Houston, said the spacecraft's mission was to gather valuable insights into the composition and history of the solar system, in a statement.

"What makes this mission even more remarkable is the unprecedented amount of material that OSIRIS-REx has captured," Harris said in the release. "The spacecraft exceeded all expectations, collecting an abundance of samples that will serve as a scientific treasure for researchers and astronomers. We are extremely grateful to be able to share this piece of cosmic history with the world."

What else?

Per the release, Space Center Houston is one of only three cultural institutions in the U.S. with a cosmic relic such as asteroid Bennu.

Spacer Center Houston has more than 400 other space-related artifacts and educational experiences.

1601 E. NASA Parkway, Houston

www.spacecenter.org/osiris-rex

This article comes from our ABC13 partners at Community Impact Newspapers.