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NASA Is Sending a Probe to a 150-Million-12 months-Previous ‘House Fossil’

NASA Is Sending a Probe to a 150-Million-12 months-Previous ‘House Fossil’
March 21, 2025



On April 20, 2025, NASA’s Lucy project will execute a detailed flyby of (152830) Donaldjohanson, a chief belt asteroid considered a fraction of a bigger frame shattered in a collision over 150 million years in the past. This come across marks a key milestone in Lucy’s lengthy adventure towards the Jupiter Trojans, providing an early alternative to check its tools whilst shooting precious knowledge on a remnant of the early sun device.

Named after the paleoanthropologist co-discoverer of the Lucy hominin fossil, the asteroid holds symbolic importance for a project that goals to track the “fossils” of planetary formation. The impending observations might lend a hand constrain fashions of asteroid evolution, in particular within the context of collisional histories and floor regolith construction. As detailed in a contemporary learn about revealed in The Planetary Science Magazine, refined spectral signatures and morphology observed in equivalent asteroids recommend long-term floor processing pushed by means of micrometeorite affects and thermal fracturing—components that Donaldjohanson might also showcase throughout this shut inspection.

A Unusual Asteroid With A Mysterious Previous

Found out in 1984, Donaldjohanson is known as after the paleontologist who discovered the well-known Lucy fossil, which reshaped our figuring out of human evolution. Now, the asteroid is ready to play a equivalent function in planetary science.

Contemporary research recommend that Donaldjohanson originated from a bigger asteroid that broke aside, forming the Erigone collisional asteroid circle of relatives. Since then, its orbit and rotation have modified considerably, most probably influenced by means of thermal torques that slowed its spin through the years. Scientists imagine its elongated form and gradual rotation make it a in particular fascinating object for learn about.

Dr. Simone Marchi, deputy foremost investigator of the Lucy project, notes that this asteroid sticks out amongst the ones seen from Earth.“Working out the formation of Donaldjohanson may lend a hand give an explanation for its peculiarities,” he mentioned.

A Key Step Earlier than Attaining Jupiter’s Trojan Asteroids

The Lucy spacecraft, introduced on October 16, 2021, is on a 12-year adventure to discover 11 asteroids, together with the Trojan asteroids that percentage Jupiter’s orbit. Those historical celestial our bodies are considered leftovers from the early sun device.

Earlier than achieving the Trojans, Lucy’s flyby of Donaldjohanson serves as each a systematic alternative and a take a look at for the spacecraft’s navigation device. Scientists hope that by means of inspecting the asteroid’s floor geology, form, and cratering historical past, they are able to validate present fashions and get ready for the more difficult encounters forward.

Dr. Hal Levison, foremost investigator of the project, emphasizes the significance of this step: “Encounters with primary belt asteroids no longer handiest supply a close-up view of the ones our bodies but additionally permit us to accomplish engineering assessments of the spacecraft’s leading edge navigation device earlier than the principle tournament to review the Trojans”. 

Imaginable Hyperlinks To Different Asteroids

Donaldjohanson’s location within the interior primary belt puts it close to the areas the place near-Earth asteroids Bennu and Ryugu originated. Each gadgets had been visited by means of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx and JAXA’s Hayabusa2 missions, which returned samples that equipped groundbreaking insights into the development blocks of planets.

Then again, Donaldjohanson seems to be considerably other from those asteroids. Whilst Bennu and Ryugu are identified for his or her free, rubble-pile constructions and carbon-rich compositions, Donaldjohanson is made most commonly of silicate rocks, most likely containing clays and natural fabrics. The impending Lucy flyby will lend a hand scientists resolve how those gadgets may well be similar, if in any respect.

What Scientists Hope To Uncover?

Thus far, Earth-based observations and theoretical fashions have equipped handiest restricted details about Donaldjohanson’s precise form, composition, and construction. The Lucy spacecraft, provided with high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic tools, will give you the first close-up knowledge at the asteroid.

Dr. Keith Noll, Lucy venture scientist at NASA’s Goddard House Flight Heart, highlights the significance of this come across: “We will rarely look ahead to the flyby as a result of, as of now, Donaldjohanson’s traits seem very distinct from Bennu and Ryugu. But, we might discover surprising connections.”

OpenAI
Author: OpenAI

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