A final flyby for asteroid Bennu and 5 other top space and science stories this week - CNN

Welcome to Wonder Theory, your weekly space and science digest.

In a matter of days, robots achieved milestones across our solar system as researchers here on Earth uncovered windows into the early days of humanity.

The spacecraft completed a final flyby of the asteroid on Wednesday, coming as close as 2.1 miles to Bennu's surface.

Expect to see those images, and how much Bennu's surface was altered by the rendezvous, next week.

Since gently dropping on to the surface, the helicopter has been ticking milestones off its list, including surviving freezing nights on Mars and wiggling its blades.

This could cause a ripple effect across ecosystems where plants and insects rely on each other for timing and environmental cues and have done so for thousands of years, including valuable crops.

This early bloom is just the tip of the iceberg of a worldwide phenomenon that could destabilize natural systems and countries' economies, said Amos Tai, associate professor of Earth System Science at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Force of nature

Get ready for another wild hurricane season.

Colorado State University shared its forecast for an overactive season Thursday, which includes 17 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher).

A typical hurricane system usually has 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast isn't due until May, scientists agree that the Atlantic will host a busy hurricane season due to warm ocean surface temperatures and the lack of the calming effects of El Niño, which increases vertical wind shear that prevents hurricanes from forming.

If you live in an area that could be impacted by hurricanes, start preparing now to have an evacuation plan and an updated evacuation kit before the season begins June 1.