Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is
featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2025 April 25
Asteroid Donaldjohanson Image Credit:
SwRI/Johns Hopkins APL/NOIRLab
Explanation:
is about 8 kilometers long and 3.5 kilometers across.
of the asteroid was captured at a distance
of about 1100 kilometers by the Lucy spacecraft's long range camera
during its second asteroid encounter.
American paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson,
discoverer of the Lucy hominid fossil,
the elongated asteroid was likely formed about 150 million years ago
from a gentle collision of two smaller bodies creating its
characteristic contact binary shape.
Launched in October of 2021,
will continue its travels through the main asteroid belt in 2025,
but is on its way to explore Jupiter's swarm of
.
Lucy is expected to encounter its first Trojan asteroid target,
,
in August 2027.
