Likely Asteroid Debris Found upon Opening of Returned NASA Probe

The return capsule containing a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is seen shortly after touching down in the desert at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range in Dugway, Utah, US September 24, 2023. (NASA/Keegan Barber/Handout via Reuters)
The return capsule containing a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is seen shortly after touching down in the desert at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range in Dugway, Utah, US September 24, 2023. (NASA/Keegan Barber/Handout via Reuters)
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Likely Asteroid Debris Found upon Opening of Returned NASA Probe

The return capsule containing a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is seen shortly after touching down in the desert at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range in Dugway, Utah, US September 24, 2023. (NASA/Keegan Barber/Handout via Reuters)
The return capsule containing a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is seen shortly after touching down in the desert at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range in Dugway, Utah, US September 24, 2023. (NASA/Keegan Barber/Handout via Reuters)

After a seven-year wait, NASA scientists on Tuesday finally pried open a space probe carrying the largest asteroid samples ever brought back to Earth, finding black debris.

Researchers "found black dust and debris on the avionics deck of the Osiris-Rex science canister when the initial lid was removed today," the US space agency said, though without specifying whether they definitely belonged to the asteroid.

Scientists are eagerly awaiting researching the bulk of the sample, which will require "intricate disassembly" of the probe.

Osiris-Rex launched in 2016, landing on the asteroid Bennu and collected roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface.

Even that small amount, NASA has said, should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth."

It ended its 3.86-billion-mile (6.21-billion-kilometer) journey after touching down in the desert in the western state of Utah on Sunday, following a high-stakes, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere.

The residue on the avionics deck found Tuesday was likely a result of issues during the collection, which NASA said were eventually solved, allowing the secure transfer of the sample.

The lid was opened in an airtight chamber at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

A news conference is scheduled October 11 in which the bulk of the sample will be revealed to the public.

The analysis of the asteroid, scientists believe, will help researchers better understand the formation of the solar system and how Earth became habitable.

Most of the sample will be conserved for study by future generations. Roughly one-fourth will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to mission partners Japan and Canada.



Queen Elizabeth II's Favorite Dogs Race for Glory in Britain’s Corgi Derby

A corgi dog sits outside of Buckingham Palace in London on September 11, 2022, three days after Queen Elizabeth II’s death. (AFP)
A corgi dog sits outside of Buckingham Palace in London on September 11, 2022, three days after Queen Elizabeth II’s death. (AFP)
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Queen Elizabeth II's Favorite Dogs Race for Glory in Britain’s Corgi Derby

A corgi dog sits outside of Buckingham Palace in London on September 11, 2022, three days after Queen Elizabeth II’s death. (AFP)
A corgi dog sits outside of Buckingham Palace in London on September 11, 2022, three days after Queen Elizabeth II’s death. (AFP)

Some of the fastest canines on four very short legs have raced for glory in Scotland’s annual Corgi Derby.

The Musselburgh Racecourse Corgi Derby was first held in 2022 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne. The late monarch was a devoted corgi fan who owned almost 30 of the breed over the decades, along with a few dorgis – a corgi-dachshund cross.

Four-year-old Juno beat a 16-strong field of dashing dogs dressed in bright sweaters over the 230-foot (70-meter) race on Saturday at the racecourse outside Edinburgh. She came from behind in the final stretch to beat last year’s winner, Rodney.

The winner and her owners, Alisdair Tew and Fran Brandon, were presented with a trophy and dog treats by tennis coach Judy Murray, mother of Scottish star Andy Murray.

Tew told the BBC that "we trained her for this last year but this year we just resorted to just letting her chase things, particularly seagulls" on Edinburgh’s Portobello Beach.

"Juno is always ready for treats -– that is probably why she won," he said.

Elizabeth's love of corgis began in 1933 when her father, King George VI, brought home a Pembroke Welsh corgi they named Dookie

Corgis were often by Elizabeth's side in the decades before her death in September 2022 — accompanying her on official tours, reportedly sleeping in their own room at Buckingham Palace and occasionally nipping the ankles of visitors or royal family members.

Three corgis even appeared alongside the queen as she climbed into James Bond’s waiting helicopter in the spoof video that opened the 2012 London Olympics.