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The asteroid Donaldjohanson as seen by the Lucy Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (L’LORRI). This is one of the most detailed images returned by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft during its flyby. This image was taken at 1:51 p.m. EDT (17:51 UTC), April 20, 2025, near closest approach, from a range of approximately 660 miles (1,100 km). The spacecraft’s closest approach distance was 600 miles (960 km), but the image shown was taken approximately 40 seconds beforehand. The image has been sharpened and processed to enhance contrast. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SwRI/Johns Hopkins APL/NOIRLab
NASA's Lucy spacecraft has beamed back pictures from its latest asteroid flyby, revealing a long, lumpy, odd-shaped space rock.
The space agency released the images Monday, a day after the close approach. It was considered a dress rehearsal for the more critical asteroid encounters ahead closer to Jupiter.
This asteroid is bigger than scientists anticipated, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) long and 2 miles (3.5 kilometers) wide at its widest point—resembling an irregular bowling pin. It's so long that the spacecraft couldn't capture it in its entirety in the initial downloaded images.
Data returned over the next week should help clarify the asteroid's shape, according to NASA.
This image from video animation provided by NASA in October 2022 depicts the Lucy spacecraft. Credit: NASA via AP
Lucy passed within 600 miles (960 kilometers) of the harmless asteroid known as Donaldjohanson on Sunday in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It's named for the paleontologist who discovered the fossil Lucy 50 years ago in Ethiopia.
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The asteroid Donaldjohanson as seen by the Lucy Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (L’LORRI) on NASA’s Lucy spacecraft during its flyby. This timelapse shows images captured approximately every 2 seconds beginning at 1:50 p.m. EDT (17:50 UTC), April 20, 2025. The asteroid rotates very slowly; its apparent rotation here is due to the spacecraft’s motion as it flies by Donaldjohanson at a distance of 1,000 to 660 miles (1,600 to 1,100 km). The spacecraft’s closest approach distance was 600 miles (960 km), but the images shown were taken approximately 40 seconds beforehand, the nearest ones at a distance of 660 miles (1100 km). Credit: NASA/Goddard/SwRI/Johns Hopkins APL
The spacecraft was launched in 2021 to study the unexplored so-called Trojan asteroids out near Jupiter. Eight Trojan flybys are planned through 2033.
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NASA's Lucy spacecraft beams back pictures of an asteroid shaped like a lumpy bowling pin (2025, April 21)
retrieved 20 May 2025
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NASA's Lucy spacecraft captured images of an asteroid in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter, revealing it to be larger and more elongated than expected, measuring approximately 8 km long and 3.5 km wide. The asteroid's irregular, bowling pin-like shape was not fully visible in initial images, and further data are expected to clarify its structure.
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NASA's Lucy spacecraft beams back pictures of an asteroid shaped like a lumpy bowling pin
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