(2D B&W version) Encounter with the asteroid Ryugu

The Hayabusa 2 space mission, launched by the Japanese space agency JAXA on December 3, 2014, was a resounding success. It collected samples from a primitive asteroid, Ryugu, and returned them to Earth. 3D stereoscopic version : The 5.4 gram samples from asteroid Ryugu, brought back to Earth in December 2020 by the Japanese Hayabusa2 mission, have been analyzed by several teams of international scientists. The samples were analyzed grain by grain using an instrument called MicrOmega, which is both a microscope and a spectrometer. This instrument was used to map the surface composition of each sample, to determine the presence of different minerals or organic matter. Two types of carbonate were identified in the samples: one rich in calcium and magnesium, the other rich in iron and magnesium. This finding suggests that their formation processes took place at different times. The Ryugu samples are considered to be primitive objects, which have been little modified over the ages and therefore preserve a record of the very early history of our solar system. They contain a lot of carbon, suggesting the presence of organic matter, the first building blocks that could have enabled life to appear on Earth. These analyses are still in progress and should provide further information on the formation of our solar system. The 3D animation we have created allows you to visualize the asteroid Ryugu from a new angle. It was created from 7964 images from the Hayabusa 2 mission. The “Romeuf-12-2023“ 3D model has facets, which allows it to reproduce the details of the asteroid’s surface with great precision. Key dates : December 3, 2014: Launch of the Hayabusa 2 mission December 3, 2015: Earth flyby 3090 km, 1.6 km/s accelerated June 27, 2018: Arrival at Ryugu, 20 km September 22, 2018 : approached 60 meters and released the two mini-rovers. October 2, 2018 : 51 meters above the ground. MASCOT (Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout) separates from Hayabusa 2 then begins to free-fall towards the surface of Ryugu. February 21, 2019: First landing on Ryugu, tacking the first sample. April 5, 2019: Artificial impact on Ryugu Jully 11, 2019: Second landing on Ryugu December 5, 2020: Return of Ryugu samples capsule to Earth, Hayabusa 2 go to Orbiting 1998 KY26, jully 2031. Credits : Original ONC cameras images FITS data : Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency - JAXA / Hayabusa 2 Photogrammetric model faces & Metashape Animation : David Romeuf - Dec 2023 Music & Soundtrack : Effervescence & Solace by Scott Buckley released under CC-BY 4.0. Imported file :