Lucy flyby reveals bilobed asteroid Donaldjohanson with tumbling rotation and erased small craters
By
Michael Vincent
Summary
This article presents findings from the Lucy spacecraft flyby of asteroid (52246) Donaldjohanson, a member of the Erigone asteroid family. The asteroid has a bilobed shape with a smooth neck region, and small craters have been preferentially erased, likely by seismic shaking from a larger impact. The asteroid exhibits tumbling rotation (not simple rotation), which is modeled as resulting from a resonance that emerged as it gradually slowed from an initially fast spin rate. The Erigone family itself was likely produced by a catastrophic collision that broke up a parent body.
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Twitter / XLucy flyby reveals bilobed asteroid Donaldjohanson with tumbling rotation and erased small cratersscim.agKey quotes
· 4 pulledThe Erigone asteroid family was probably produced by a catastrophic collision that broke up a parent body.
Marchi et al. present results from the Lucy spacecraft flyby of the small asteroid Donaldjohanson, a likely member of the Erigone family, finding that it has a bilobed shape and a smooth neck region.
Small craters have been preferentially erased, possibly by seismic shaking after a larger impact.
The asteroid is slowly tumbling, not simply rotating, which the authors model as being due to a resonance that arose while it gradually slowed from an initially fast spin rate.
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