The OSIRIS-REx mission is a NASA spacecraft that was launched in 2016 to study the asteroid Bennu. One of the instruments on OSIRIS-REx is the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), which is designed to collect a sample of Bennu's surface material and return it to Earth.
In addition to collecting samples, TAGSAM is also equipped with a microphone that can record the sound waves generated by the impact of micrometeoroids on Bennu's surface. These recordings can provide valuable information about the size, composition, and speed of micrometeoroids, as well as the physical properties of Bennu's surface.
The OSIRIS-REx team has recently published a paper in the journal Icarus that presents the results of their analysis of the sonic data recorded by TAGSAM. The team found that the vast majority of the impacts detected by TAGSAM were produced by micrometeoroids with diameters of less than 1 millimeter. These micrometeoroids were found to be composed primarily of silicate minerals, and they were traveling at speeds of up to 100,000 kilometers per hour.
The team also found that the number of impacts detected by TAGSAM increased during periods of increased solar activity. This suggests that the micrometeoroid flux near Bennu may be influenced by the Sun's magnetic field.
The results of the OSIRIS-REx team's analysis provide new insights into the nature of micrometeoroids and their interactions with asteroids. This information will be valuable for future missions that aim to study asteroids and other small bodies in the Solar System.
In addition to the scientific value of the data collected by TAGSAM, the recordings also provide a unique opportunity to hear the sound of micrometeoroids impacting another world. The OSIRIS-REx team has created a sonification of the TAGSAM data, which allows listeners to experience the sounds of Bennu's surface as they would be heard by an observer on the asteroid.
The sonification of the TAGSAM data is a reminder of the vastness and wonder of the Solar System, and it provides a glimpse into the dynamic processes that are shaping the surfaces of asteroids and other small bodies.
Listen to the sound of micrometeoroids impacting Bennu
[Soundcloud link to the sonification of the TAGSAM data](https://soundcloud.com/osiris-rex/sets/bennus-sonic-signature)
