Nasa’s Lucy spacecraft captures close-up of oddly shaped asteroid Donaldjohanson

Nasa’s Lucy mission has captured striking new images of an unusually shaped asteroid during a recent high-speed flyby, revealing a bizarre, elongated object that resembles a lumpy bowling pin.

The asteroid, named Donaldjohanson, is located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. During Sunday’s close pass, Lucy flew within just 600 miles (960 kilometers) of the space rock, capturing detailed images that were released on Monday. Early measurements show the asteroid is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) long and 2 miles (3.5 kilometers) wide — larger than expected and oddly shaped.

The asteroid’s stretched form was so pronounced that Lucy couldn’t fit it all into a single frame. More data arriving soon will help scientists build a complete picture of its shape and surface features.

Though Donaldjohanson poses no danger, the flyby was a crucial test for Lucy as it prepares for its primary mission: visiting the Trojan asteroids that orbit the sun alongside Jupiter. These ancient bodies may offer key insights into the early history of the solar system.

Donaldjohanson is named after paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson, who co-discovered the famous “Lucy” fossil in Ethiopia in 1974 — the inspiration behind the spacecraft’s name.

Launched in 2021, Lucy is on a 12-year journey to explore eight Trojan asteroids. This successful encounter marks a major milestone as the mission prepares for more complex visits in the years ahead.

SR