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Lucy Probe

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space2 years ago

NASA's Lucy Probe: Unveiling Bizarre Surprises on its 12-Year Mission

NASA's Lucy spacecraft, on a 12-year mission to study Trojan asteroids, encountered its first target, Dinkinesh, and made a surprising discovery. Dinkinesh is actually a binary system, with two smaller asteroids orbiting it closely to form a contact binary. This is the first time astronomers have observed such a system orbiting an asteroid. Lucy has now visited three asteroids instead of one, and will continue its mission to study a total of 11 objects. The scientific community is excited to unravel the mysteries of this peculiar contact binary.

via The Register|
#asteroids#contact-binary#dinkinesh
space2 years ago

NASA Probe Discovers Surprising Binary Asteroid System During Flyby

NASA's Lucy probe, during its flyby of asteroid Dinkinesh, made a surprising discovery - the asteroid has its own tiny moonlet in a close orbit. This finding suggests that there may be more binary asteroids in the Solar System than previously known, providing insights into how rocks in the Solar System grow and interact. Lucy's mission is to study these asteroids to better understand the formation of the Solar System and the processes involved in planet formation. The spacecraft is now heading towards its next target, the asteroid Donaldjohanson, for a rendezvous in 2025.

via ScienceAlert|
#asteroids#binary-asteroids#lucy-probe
space2 years ago

"NASA's Lucy Probe Set for Historic Flyby of 'Dinky' Asteroid"

NASA's Lucy probe is set to fly by the asteroid Dinkinesh on November 1st, marking the first stop on its record-breaking tour of ten space rocks. The encounter with Dinkinesh will serve as a test for Lucy's Terminal Tracking System, which keeps its instruments pointed at asteroids during flybys. This will be a challenging test as Dinkinesh is smaller than the other targets. Following the flyby, Lucy will head back to Earth for a gravity assist before continuing its mission to visit Trojan asteroids in 2027.

via Space.com|
#asteroid#dinkinesh#flyby
space2 years ago

NASA's spacecraft captures stunning glimpses of asteroid targets.

NASA's Lucy probe, launched in October 2021, has captured its first images of the asteroids it was sent to investigate, including Eurybates, Polymele, Leucus, and Orus. These asteroids belong to the Trojan swarms, a group of space rocks that share the orbit of Jupiter. Lucy's mission is to study nine of them, from both the Greek and Trojan camps, as well as two asteroids in the Main Belt that sits between Jupiter and Mars, during its 12-year mission. The data obtained will help scientists understand more about how the Solar System formed.

via ScienceAlert|
#asteroids#lucy-probe#nasa