NASA's Lucy Spacecraft Captures First Images of Double-Lobed Asteroid
On its way to future encounters with Trojan asteroids, the Lucy spacecraft made a practice run past tiny asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2025. Today, the Lucy team, led […] The post Lucy's First Asteroid Flyby Sheds Light on a Double-lobed Asteroid appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
During a practice flyby on April 20, 2025, NASA's Lucy spacecraft captured its first images of the small, double-lobed asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson. This maneuver served as a crucial test run ahead of Lucy's primary mission to study Trojan asteroids orbiting Jupiter. The data gathered from this encounter provides valuable insights into the asteroid's shape and composition. Understanding such small celestial bodies helps scientists piece together the early history of the solar system. The successful flyby demonstrates the spacecraft's capabilities. Lucy continues its journey towards its main targets. This initial encounter offers a preview of the scientific discoveries to come.
The first images of asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson by the Lucy spacecraft provide valuable data on small asteroids, aiding our understanding of solar system formation.
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