162173 Ryugu

162173 Ryugu is a near-Earth object and a potentially dangerous asteroid of the Apollo group. It is about 1 kilometer (0.6 mi) in diameter and is a dark object.^[1]

In June 2018, the Japanese spacecraft, Hayabusa2, arrived at the asteroid.^[2] After making measurements and taking samples, Hayabusa2 left Ryugu for Earth in November 2019^[3] and returned to Earth on 5 December 2020.

162173 Ryugu Media

The origin of 162173 Ryugu may be either 495 Eulalia or 142 Polana. Sun · Earth · 162173 Ryugu · 142 Polana · 495 Eulalia
Image sequence showing the rotation of Ryugu
Images of the asteroid's surface made with Hayabusa2
Animation of Hayabusa2's orbit from 3 December 2014 Hayabusa2 162173 Ryugu Earth Sun
Samples of Ryugu returned by Hayabusa2

References

↑ Sugita, S.. Ryugu's Parent-Body Processes Estimated from Hayabusa2 Multi-Band Optical Observations (in en). LPICo 82 (2157) (July 2019). p. 6366.
↑ Chang, Kenneth; Stirone, Shannon (19 March 2019). "The Asteroid Was Shooting Rocks Into Space. 'Were We Safe in Orbit?'". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/19/science/bennu-ryugu-asteroids.html. Retrieved 21 March 2019. "NASA's Osiris-Rex and Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft reached the space rocks they are surveying last year, and scientists from both teams announced early findings on Tuesday.".
↑ Stephen Clark. Japanese sample return craft departs asteroid, heads for Earth (November 13, 2019)./

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[:0-1] Sugita, S.. Ryugu's Parent-Body Processes Estimated from Hayabusa2 Multi-Band Optical Observations (in en). LPICo 82 (2157) (July 2019). p. 6366.

[NYT-20190319-2] Chang, Kenneth; Stirone, Shannon (19 March 2019). "The Asteroid Was Shooting Rocks Into Space. 'Were We Safe in Orbit?'". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/19/science/bennu-ryugu-asteroids.html. Retrieved 21 March 2019. "NASA's Osiris-Rex and Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft reached the space rocks they are surveying last year, and scientists from both teams announced early findings on Tuesday.".

[spaceflightnow-3] Stephen Clark. Japanese sample return craft departs asteroid, heads for Earth (November 13, 2019)./

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