NASA Lucy Spacecraft is about to spend a close confrontation with the asteroid

A NASA satellite vehicle with the asteroid in the main belt on Sunday afternoon, ranked second of several asteroids, planned for its 12 -year mission to study the remains of the early solar system. The Lucy spacecraft will be 596 miles (960 km) from the Donaldd Hanson asteroid – which was named after the old world that discovered the “Huminin” fossils – at the closest point of its passage, which will happen at 1:51 pm, according to what he said Nassa. LUCY will use three tools to take detailed notes where the object approaches, and alternates with the asteroid for a few hours to get the full image. He will stop tracking before the asteroid is closer, when it must protect its tools due to the sun’s position to prevent its damage.

The former spacecraft visited a small Quicid called Dinkinesh in 2023, and its notes revealed this The asteroid is done through what is known as the bilateral contactOr a dual -shaped moon in the form of peanuts “made from smaller two being touches each other”, ” Nassa Explain at that time. After Donaldjohanson, Lucy will move to her main goals, a handful of “Trojan” asteroids revolving around the sun in the same path as Jupiter. It is expected to reach the first of these things in 2027.

“Every asteroid has a different story that tells it, and these stories are weaved together to draw the history of our solar system,” Tom Statler, Mission, said in a press release. “The fact that every new asteroid we are wearing knocking on our socks means that we only started to understand the depth and richness of this date. Teaching notes indicate that Donalddhansonon will have an interesting story, and I expect completely to be surprised – again.”