NASA's Lucy Probe Reveals Bizarre Contact Binary Moon Orbiting Asteroid Dinkinesh
TL;DR
NASA's Lucy spacecraft, on its mission to explore asteroids near Jupiter, discovered that the asteroid Dinkinesh is not one, but two objects. Further analysis revealed that Dinkinesh's smaller satellite is a contact binary, meaning the two smaller objects are in contact with each other. This makes Dinkinesh a triple-component system, which is puzzling to scientists. Contact binary systems are common in the solar system, but this is the first time one has been observed orbiting another asteroid. Lucy will continue its mission to study other asteroids and the Trojan asteroids in the coming years.
Topics:sciencescience-and-astronomy#asteroid-dinkinesh#contact-binary#lucy-spacecraft#nasa#satellite#science-and-astronomy
- Strange moon of asteroid Dinkinesh is weirder than thought after NASA probe finds 'contact binary' (photo) Space.com
- NASA asteroid mission unveils a surprise moon orbiting Dinkinesh Salon
- NASA's Lucy Surprises Again, Observes 1st-ever Contact Binary Orbiting Asteroid Science@NASA
- NASA Probe Discovers Wonderful Surprise With Asteroid Giant Freakin Robot
- Lucy: Asteroid's Surprise Moon Is Two Rocks Stuck Together Gizmodo
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on Space.com