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NASA’s Lucy objective continues to evaluate images gathered throughout the spacecraft’s April 20, 2025 encounter with the carbonaceous asteroid Donaldjohanson.
Donaldjohanson as seen by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft from a series of about 2,700 km(1,700 miles), about 3.2 minutes before closest method on April 20, 2025. The lighting conditions, with the Sun practically behind Lucy, significantly decrease the contrast of topographic information. Image credit: NASA/ Goddard/ SwRI/ Johns Hopkins APL.
Donaldjohanson lies in the inner areas of Solar System’s primary asteroid belt.
This asteroid was very first found on March 2, 1981, by the American astronomer Schelte Bus at the Siding Spring Observatory.
On April 20, 2025, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft made a close flyby of Donaldjohanson, coming within 960 km (600 miles) of its surface area.
The encounter validated that the asteroid is an extended contact binary– an item formed when 2 smaller sized bodies clash.
Members of the Lucy group were shocked by the odd shape of the narrow neck linking the 2 lobes, which looks like 2 embedded ice cream cones.
A stereo image set integrating the last total method image(right)with a somewhat clipped image taken 72 seconds later on(left). For a three-dimensional view of the asteroid’s structure, cross your eyes while concentrating on the image. Image credit: NASA/ Goddard/ SwRI/ Johns Hopkins APL/ Brian May/ Claudia Manzoni.
“The newly-released images were taken by the spacecraft’s L’LORRI imager a couple of minutes before its closest technique,” the scientists composed in a declaration.
“This effective gown practice session offers the group high self-confidence that both the spacecraft and our group are well gotten ready for the centerpieces: the upcoming encounters with the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.”
“The spacecraft itself is now in a fairly peaceful cruise duration as it continues taking a trip through the primary asteroid belt.”
“Lucy is heading far from the Sun at more than 50,000 km per hour (30,000 miles per hour).”
“We will keep monitoring the spacecraft as it approaches the cooler and dimmer external Solar System.”
“Once Lucy reaches the Trojan asteroids, it will carry out 4 encounters, observing a minimum of 6 asteroids– consisting of 2 satellites found by our group– in less than 15 months.”
“The very first encounter will be with the asteroid Eurybates in August 2027.”
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