NASA's probe Lucy is on a historic journey to encounter the asteroid Donaldjohanson, located over 100 million miles from Earth. This investigation aims to capture unprecedented images of the oddly shaped rock, which is described as resembling a snowman or bowling pin. Scientists, including lead researcher Hal Levison, express excitement due to the unpredictability of the asteroid's characteristics, indicating potential binary formations. The probe's greater mission includes visits to additional asteroids, contributing valuable data on celestial bodies and insights into the solar system's origins.
"We don't know what to expect. That's what makes this so cool," said the project's lead scientist, Hal Levison of Southwest Research Institute.
"It's not going to be a basic potato. We already know that," he said, explaining Donaldjohanson may even turn out to be two asteroids in a binary orbit.
The encounter with Donaldjohanson is just a dress rehearsal for Lucy's main performance - visiting the Trojan asteroids, a massive field of rocks that follow Jupiter as it circles the sun.
The asteroid Dinkinesh and the tiny moon orbiting it was discovered by Lucy during a 2023 flyby.
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