NASA's Lucy spacecraft has recently captured its first images of the asteroid Donaldjohanson, its next target in a mission to explore the ancient building blocks of our solar system. These initial snapshots were taken on February 20 and 22, 2025, as Lucy approached the small main-belt asteroid, located between Mars and Jupiter. At the time, the spacecraft was about 45 million miles (70 million kilometers) away, and the images show Donaldjohanson as a faint dot moving against a backdrop of stars in the constellation Sextans. This asteroid, roughly 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) wide, is a carbonaceous object that Lucy will fly by on April 20, 2025, passing within 596 miles (960 kilometers) of its surface.
It's exciting to hear about the progress of NASA's Lucy mission! Here's a breakdown of the key information regarding the Lucy probe's recent images of asteroid Donaldjohanson:
- Lucy's Mission:
- The Lucy spacecraft was launched in 2021 to explore the Trojan asteroids, which share Jupiter's orbit around the Sun.
- Before reaching the Trojans, Lucy is encountering other asteroids in the main asteroid belt, providing valuable data.
- Donaldjohanson:
- This asteroid is named after anthropologist Donald Johanson, who discovered the "Lucy" fossil.
- Lucy has taken the first images of Donaldjohanson, which is its next target.
- The flyby of Donaldjohanson is scheduled for April 20, 2025.
- The asteroid is thought to be debris from a past collision.
- Images and Observations:
- The images were captured by Lucy's Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (L'LORRI).
- These images are crucial for optical navigation, ensuring an accurate flyby.
- At this stage the asteroid appears as a point of light.
- Significance:
- This flyby serves as a "dress rehearsal" for Lucy's main mission to the Trojan asteroids.
- It allows mission teams to refine their techniques and gather valuable data.
In essence, NASA's Lucy spacecraft is continuing its journey, and these images mark another important step in its exploration of our solar system.