How much is Ryugu worth?

The economically valuable materials present on the asteroid Ryugu have a total estimated value of 82.76 billion U.S. dollars, and is estimated to have a profit of 30.08 billion U.S. dollars once the costs of mining are taken into consideration.

How old is Ryugu asteroid?

Though Ryugu’s individual rocks are likely 4.6 billion years old or more, exactly when those rocks came together to form the asteroid is still unknown. Some data points to the asteroid’s surface being about 8.9 million years old, while other information indicates that it might be up to about 158 million years old.

What type of asteroid is Ryugu?

carbonaceous
“I’m very hopeful our results will be helpful for the sample team,” Yokota says. Ryugu’s known as a C-type, or carbonaceous, asteroid, meaning its rocks and pebbles are packed with carbon molecules, contributing to its sooty coloration.

Who discovered Ryugu?

Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research
162173 Ryugu/Discoverers

How big is the asteroid Ryugu?

435 m
162173 Ryugu/Radius

How far away is asteroid Ryugu?

Dust from Ryugu, which is currently 9 million miles, or 15 million kilometers, from Earth, will be among the most immaculately preserved space material scientists have laid hands on.

What is the gravity on Ryugu?

1.19±0.03 g cm−3. Equatorial surface gravity.

How far away is Ryugu from Earth?

Dust from Ryugu, which is currently 9 million miles, or 15 million kilometers, from Earth, will be among the most immaculately preserved space material scientists have laid hands on. It’s only the second sample of an asteroid that has ever been collected in space and returned to Earth.

Why was Ryugu chosen?

Ryugu was chosen as the Hayabusa2 mission target because of its proximity to Earth and because it is one of these potentially life-giving C-type asteroids. The Ryugu sample is the first-ever C-type asteroid that scientists will be able to study firsthand.

How tall is Ryugu?

162173 Ryugu

Discovery
Earth MOID 0.0006 AU (0.2337 LD)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter 0.865±0.015 km 0.87 km 0.90±0.14 km 0.92±0.12 km 0.980±0.029 km 1.13±0.03 km
Volume 0.377±0.005 km3

How fast is Ryugu moving?

162173 Ryugu

Discovery
Mean motion 0° 45m 34.56s / day
Inclination 5.8837°
Longitude of ascending node 251.62°
Argument of perihelion 211.43°

What is the size of Ryugu?

How did the asteroid Ryugu get its name?

The asteroid’s name means “dragon palace” in Japanese and refers to a magical underwater castle in a Japanese folktale. In the story, a fisherman visits the palace and returns with a mysterious box, much like the mysterious samples Hayabusa2 will be bringing back to Earth.

Is the asteroid Ryugu dangerous to the Earth?

Ryugu is orbiting the sun between Earth and Mars and occasionally crosses Earth’s orbit, which means the space rock is classified as “potentially hazardous,” though the body poses no imminent danger to our world. As it soars through space, the asteroid spins around like a top, rotating every 7.6 hours, according to JAXA .

When did Hayabusa2 land on the asteroid Ryugu?

The asteroid Ryugu, as seen by Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft on June 26, 2018. (Image credit: JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, University of Aizu, AIST) Editor’s Note: Hayabusa2’s sample-return capsule is scheduled to land on Earth Dec. 6, 2020.