NASA’s Lucy spacecraft is embarking on an exciting mission to investigate ancient asteroids known as the Trojans. This groundbreaking journey has already provided scientists with unexpected findings, adding to the excitement surrounding this 12-year mission.
On November 1, Lucy passed by its non-Trojan target called Dinkinesh and made a remarkable discovery – Dinkinesh is actually a binary system of two asteroids. This unexpected finding has sparked curiosity among researchers who are eager to understand the intricate dynamics of such systems.
But the surprises did not end there. On November 7, the team behind Lucy made another astonishing announcement. They revealed that Dinkinesh’s satellite itself has its own satellite, making it a contact-binary orbiting an asteroid. This satellite has been named Selam, in honor of a fossil unearthed in Ethiopia in the year 2000.
With these exciting revelations, scientists are now focusing on utilizing Lucy’s onboard instruments to study Dinkinesh and Selam in greater detail. The primary objective is to understand the composition of these asteroids and compare them to others in our solar system. By doing so, researchers hope to gain valuable insights into the formation and evolution of these ancient celestial bodies.
The initial findings from Lucy’s first stop have already generated considerable anticipation for the remainder of the mission. As the spacecraft continues its journey to explore more Trojan asteroids, scientists and space enthusiasts alike eagerly await further discoveries that could reshape our understanding of these ancient remnants from the early days of our solar system.
The road ahead for Lucy is filled with infinite possibilities, and the data it collects during its 12-year mission will undoubtedly shape our knowledge of space and the history of our solar system. As we eagerly follow its progress, we can only imagine the groundbreaking discoveries that lie ahead and the profound impact they will have on our understanding of the universe.
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