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Lucy Mission

All articles tagged with #lucy mission

space16 days ago•11 min saved

Lucy Spots Water Clues on a Tumbling Peanut-Shaped Asteroid

NASA’s Lucy mission found that the main-belt asteroid Donaldjohanson is a bilobed, peanut-shaped body with a complex tumbling rotation gradually altered by sunlight (the YORP effect). Close flyby data revealed iron-rich clays that formed in the presence of liquid water, suggesting water briefly existed on its parent body long ago. At about 155 million years old, Donaldjohanson is younger than Bennu and Ryugu and has stayed in the main belt, offering a contrast as Lucy heads toward studying Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids, starting with Eurybates in 2027.

via SciTechDaily|

#asteroids #lucy-mission #nasa

space-exploration26 days ago•99 min saved

Lucy’s DJ flyby uncovers water clues in an ancient inner-belt asteroid

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft’s April 2025 flyby of the bi-lobed inner-belt asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson (DJ) revealed iron‑bearing phyllosilicates indicating past liquid water and suggested DJ originated from a larger parent body that fractured about 155 million years ago; the findings, published in Science, help explain how water and organics were distributed in the early solar system as Lucy continues toward six Jupiter Trojan targets.

via Space|

#aqueous-alteration #donaldjohanson #inner-asteroid-belt

space26 days ago•3 min saved

Lucy’s Close Encounter Reveals a Water-Rich Fragment from a Violent Ancient Collision

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft captured Donaldjohanson during a 2025 flyby, revealing a peanut-shaped, cratered asteroid about 8 km by 3.5 km that likely formed when a 80 km parent body shattered ~155 million years ago, placing it in the Erigone family. Its two-lobed shape, crater pattern, and recent surface-reset hints (smaller craters erased) support a violent origin with seismic reshaping, while iron-bearing phyllosilicates indicate past liquid water. The findings help constrain how near-Earth asteroids and the solar system evolved, and Lucy heads to the Trojan asteroids in 2027.

via Gizmodo|

#donaldjohanson #erigone-family #lucy-mission

science10 months ago•2 min saved

NASA’s Lucy Mission Assigns Names to Explored Asteroid Regions

NASA's Lucy spacecraft visited the asteroid Donaldjohanson, named after the paleoanthropologist who discovered Lucy, and has named its features after significant human evolutionary sites, as it journeys towards studying Jupiter's Trojan asteroids to enhance our understanding of solar system evolution.

via NASA Science (.gov)|

#asteroid-donaldjohanson #jupiter-trojans #lucy-mission

science1 year ago•2 min saved

NASA's Lucy Mission Unveils Full View of Peanut-Shaped Asteroid Donaldjohanson

NASA's Lucy mission captured the first full image of the peanut-shaped asteroid Donaldjohanson during a close flyby, revealing its complex geology and offering insights into asteroid formation and collisional processes, although it is not the mission's primary target. The encounter serves as a rehearsal for future missions to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids, with the next major milestone set for August 2027.

via Gizmodo|

#asteroid #donaldjohanson #lucy-mission

science2 years ago•5 min saved

NASA's Lucy Reveals Complex Double Moon Orbiting Asteroid Dinkinesh

NASA's Lucy mission discovered a contact binary named Selam orbiting the asteroid Dinkinesh, marking the first such discovery. The findings, published in Nature, reveal complexities in Dinkinesh and Selam that could reshape our understanding of asteroid and planet formation. The study highlights how these small bodies' internal structures and behaviors during collisions are crucial for understanding planetary formation. Lucy's mission will continue with future encounters, including the Trojan asteroids around Jupiter.

via CNN|

#asteroids #lucy-mission #nasa

science2 years ago•4 min saved

NASA's Lucy Mission Discovers Double Moon Orbiting 'Dinky' Asteroid

NASA's Lucy spacecraft discovered that the asteroid Dinkinesh, also known as "Dinky," has an ultra-rare double moon named Selam, which is a contact binary. This discovery was made during a flyby on November 1, 2023, and researchers have proposed a model explaining Selam's formation. The findings, published in Nature, provide new insights into asteroid formation and could help understand planetary formation.

via Livescience.com|

#asteroids #contact-binary #lucy-mission

space-exploration2 years ago•5 min saved

NASA's Lucy Finds 'Dinky' Asteroid's Moon is Two Fused Asteroids

NASA's Lucy spacecraft has discovered that asteroid 152830 Dinkinesh, nicknamed 'Dinky,' has a small moon named Selam, which is a contact binary. This moon likely formed from material spun off Dinkinesh due to the YORP effect, which increased the asteroid's rotation. The findings provide insights into the formation of asteroid moons and are published in Nature.

via Space.com|

#asteroid #lucy-mission #moon

space2 years ago•2 min saved

"Lucy's Milestone: NASA's Asteroid Probe Fires Main Engines in Space en Route to Jupiter Trojans"

NASA's Lucy spacecraft will fire its main engines in space for the first time since its launch in August 2021, burning through around half of its onboard fuel. This maneuver aims to change Lucy's velocity by around 2,000 miles per hour. The spacecraft will then undergo a flyby of Earth in December 2024 to receive a gravity assist, altering its trajectory to explore the Trojan asteroids near Jupiter.

via Space.com|

#asteroid-probe #lucy-mission #main-engine-firing

space-exploration2 years ago•2 min saved

"NASA's Lucy Probe Fires Main Engines in Space for First Time"

NASA's Lucy spacecraft, on a mission to explore the Trojan asteroids, will fire its main engines in space for the first time this week, burning through half of its onboard fuel. This will be followed by a larger maneuver to change its velocity, setting it on a new trajectory to visit various asteroids and moonlets, including a flyby of Earth in 2024. The spacecraft will then head towards the Trojan asteroids, with the mission concluding in 2033 after visiting multiple asteroids and moonlets.

via Yahoo! Voices|

#asteroid-probe #lucy-mission #nasa

astronomy2 years ago•2 min saved

Unveiling the Astonishing Dual Moons of Asteroid Dinkinesh

NASA's Lucy mission, during its first asteroid flyby, discovered that the small moon orbiting the main belt asteroid Dinkinesh is actually two moons that appear as one because they are touching. Dinkinesh is the smallest main belt asteroid ever explored by a spacecraft, and its moons are approximately the same size, which is unusual for contact binaries. Scientists are intrigued by how these equally-sized bodies stick together gravitationally and are eager to study them further. This unexpected finding demonstrates that Lucy's equipment is working well, and the mission will continue to survey other asteroids in the future.

via Livescience.com|

#asteroids #astronomy #contact-binary

space2 years ago•3 min saved

Unveiling Astonishing Discoveries: NASA's Surprising Encounters with Asteroids

NASA's Lucy mission, which recently flew by the small asteroid Dinkinesh, has made a surprising discovery. Initially believed to be part of a binary pair, new images reveal that Dinkinesh is actually a contact binary, consisting of two smaller asteroids touching each other. The close approach was primarily a test for the spacecraft's equipment, but the unexpected finding has left scientists puzzled. Lucy's main goal is to survey the Trojan asteroids around Jupiter, and its next close encounter will be with another main belt asteroid in 2025 before heading towards the Trojans in 2027.

via Yahoo! Voices|

#contact-binary #dinkinesh #lucy-mission

space2 years ago•3 min saved

NASA's Mission Uncovers Surprising Double Discovery During Asteroid Flyby

NASA's Lucy mission, which recently flew by the small asteroid Dinkinesh, has made a "puzzling" discovery. Initial images suggested that Dinkinesh was part of a binary pair, with a smaller asteroid orbiting it. However, subsequent images revealed that the smaller asteroid is actually a contact binary, two smaller space rocks that touch each other. This unexpected finding has surprised scientists and will provide valuable insights into the formation and composition of asteroids. The Lucy mission aims to survey the Trojan asteroids around Jupiter and will continue its exploration in the coming years.

via CNN|

#asteroid-flyby #contact-binary #dinkinesh

space2 years ago•2 min saved

NASA's Lucy Mission Discovers Unexpected Bonus Asteroid During High-Speed Encounter

NASA's Lucy mission, en route to explore the Trojan asteroids, has successfully completed its first high-speed encounter with an asteroid called Dinkinesh. The mission, designed to study the pristine building blocks of planets, discovered that Dinkinesh is actually an "asteroid binary," with a smaller asteroid orbiting a larger one. Lucy's powerful cameras will observe the composition, mass, and geologic history of the Trojans to understand their role in the formation of our solar system. The next asteroid encounter is scheduled for 2025, with the mission reaching the first Trojan in 2027.

via Mashable|

#asteroid-binary #lucy-mission #nasa

space2 years ago•3 min saved

Lucy Mission Discovers Second Asteroid and Mini Moon During Flyby

NASA's Lucy mission, designed to explore Jupiter's Trojan asteroid swarms, encountered a surprise when it flew by the small asteroid Dinkinesh in the main asteroid belt. What was initially thought to be a single asteroid turned out to be a binary pair of space rocks. The larger asteroid is estimated to be half a mile wide, while the smaller one is 0.15 miles across. The close approach allowed Lucy to test its equipment and collect data on small asteroids, providing valuable insights for future missions. Lucy's ultimate goal is to provide high-resolution images of the Trojan asteroids, shedding light on the formation of our solar system.

via CNN|

#asteroid #binary-pair #lucy-mission