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Bob Collins

Overhead today, a triumph of brainpower

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL - SEPTEMBER 8: In this handout photo provided by NASA, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft lifts off on from Space Launch Complex 41 on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. OSIRIS-REx will be the first U.S. mission to sample an asteroid, retrieve at least two ounces of surface material and return it to Earth for study. The asteroid, Bennu, may hold clues to the origin of the solar system and the source of water and organic molecules found on Earth. (Photo by Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images)

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We do not get many opportunities to pause and reflect on the abilities of the human mind, but today is providing the chance to consider the possibilities of genius, particularly when you consider the relatively short time since humans mastered flight.

NASA launched OSIRIS-REx a year ago, sending it on its way to the asteroid Bennu, where it will take samples and return them to earth.

It doesn't have enough fuel to get there, which is OK because in the time since its launch, the earth has swung in its orbit to meet the spacecraft again.

It will pass within 11,000 miles of us just before noon today, and use the earth's gravitational pull to slingshot itself toward the asteroid. It -- or rather someone's human mind -- accomplished this by factoring in the six degree difference between the earth's orbit around the sun and the asteroid's.

If all goes well, the slingshot will match the spacecraft's speed and trajectory to the asteroid's.

It'll look like this:

The spacecraft's Twitter account is urging people to "wave" to it today, which is a pretty appropriate way to get people to stop and consider just how smart our species can be when we put out minds to it.

In today's process, giving the spacecraft some momentum takes some away from the earth's, the New York Times says. Not to worry. We've got plenty and fall will still arrive as scheduled later this afternoon.

How will the spacecraft bring its samples back to earth? Gravity takes care of that, too.

Gravity is cool.

All credit goes to whomever inspires us in math, science, and physics.