NASA's Lucy spacecraft captured footage of a surprise binary asteroid, and then discovered that the surprise asteroid is also a double asteroid, specifically a "contact binary" asteroid.
A space probe thinks it's going to fly by a lone asteroid, but discovers a companion (which now turns out to be very special). houstonianonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from houstonianonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
When NASA’s Lucy spacecraft flew past the asteroid Dinkinesh, it found an unexpected satellite – but further images revealed that it’s actually two rocks tenuously connected together
NASA’s asteroid-exploring spacecraft Lucy has made its first up-close observations – and discovered something unexpected. The asteroid Dinkinesh not only has a small satellite orbiting it, but that mini-moon is made up of two objects stuck together.
It seems like yesterday we were marveling over Dinkinesh (because it practically was) and its secret little moon, and the main belt asteroid has already given us another huge surprise.
NASA's Lucy probe found that the asteroid Dinkinesh is not only a binary, but that its satellite is itself a "contact binary" of two space rocks objects touching one another.
NASA's Lucy Surprises Again, Observes First-Ever Contact Binary Orbiting Asteroid spacecoastdaily.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from spacecoastdaily.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.