NASA's Lucy Spacecraft Reveals Peanut-Shaped Asteroid Donaldjohanson With Signs of Past Water Activity
By
Lonnie Shekhtman
Summary
NASA's Lucy spacecraft flew by the asteroid Donaldjohanson in the main asteroid belt, revealing it to be a wobbly, peanut-shaped body formed 155 million years ago from fragments coalescing after a violent collision. The asteroid shows signs of transformation from solar radiation and evidence of past liquid water activity, offering insights into the complex lives of small asteroids.
Source
Twitter / XNASA's Lucy Spacecraft Reveals Peanut-Shaped Asteroid Donaldjohanson With Signs of Past Water Activitygo.nasa.govKey quotes
· 3 pulledEven small asteroids lead complex lives.
During its flyby of the asteroid Donaldjohanson last year, NASA's Lucy spacecraft revealed the asteroid to be a wobbly, peanut-shaped body that has undergone a lot of activity in its relatively short history.
Formed as fragments coalesced after a violent collision 155 million years ago, the asteroid was transformed by the small but inexorable force of the Sun's radiation, all while retaining signs of the brief presence of liquid water in its distant past.
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