Bennu and Ryugu look like spinning tops and scientists want to know why
Spacecraft visiting both asteroids may provide clues to the space rocks’ formation
![asteroids bennu and ryugu](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/121418_jl_bennu-shape_feat.jpg?fit=860%2C460&ssl=1)
SPINNING TOP Both Bennu (left) and Ryugu (right) have a diamond shape that is common for asteroids of their size, but scientists can’t yet explain how the shape forms.
From left: GSFC/NASA, Univ. of Arizona; JAXA, Univ. of Tokyo, Kochi Univ., Rikkyo Univ., Nagoya Univ., Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji Univ., Univ. of Aizu, AIST