This depiction captures the advent of Dinkinesh’s satellite, which comes into view from behind the primary asteroid, as recorded by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft using the Lucy Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (L’LORRI). The image, which ranks among the clearest received from Lucy during its passage near the asteroid system, was snapped at 12:55 p.m. EDT on November 1, 2023, as the spacecraft neared its closest approach at approximately 270 miles (430 km). The satellite appears from this vantage point to be trailing the larger asteroid. The image has undergone refinement and adjustments to better highlight its features. Credit is attributed to the collaboration between NASA, Goddard, SwRI, Johns Hopkins APL, and NOAO.
The recent flyby of the Lucy spacecraft has uncovered that Dinkinesh is, in fact, a binary asteroid. This event allowed for the testing of Lucy’s precision in tracking and also gave a glimpse into the spacecraft’s broader expedition aims, which include studying the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
NASA’s Lucy encountered a surprising scenario on November 1; instead of one, it encountered a pair of asteroids. Initial imagery transmitted by Lucy disclosed that Dinkinesh, a modestly-sized asteroid in the main belt, is composed of two bodies.
Hal Levison, the principal investigator of Lucy at the Southwest Research Institute’s Boulder, Colorado location, expressed his delight at the finding, alluding to Dinkinesh’s Amharic name translation as “marvelous.” “Lucy’s mission was conceived with the intention to survey seven asteroids. Now, with Dinkinesh, two Trojan moons, and their accompanying satellite included, we’ve expanded our exploration to 11,” he stated.
Unveiling the Binary Pair
Before the spacecraft’s rendezvous with Dinkinesh, the variations in brightness observed by Lucy’s instruments had led the team to speculate about the possibility of Dinkinesh being a binary system. The initial images from the flyby conclusively confirmed this, presenting Dinkinesh as a binary where the two components lie in close proximity. Based on the first set of images, the team deduced that the primary body measures roughly 0.5 miles (790 m) across, with the secondary body being approximately 0.15 miles (220 m).
Evaluating the Terminal Tracking System
This particular encounter primarily aimed to test the spacecraft in real conditions, with a specific focus on evaluating its terminal tracking system. This system is designed for Lucy to autonomously lock onto and track an asteroid as it zooms by at speeds of 10,000 mph.
The terminal tracking camera (T2CAM) aboard Lucy documented a sequence of images, taken 13 seconds apart, of the Dinkinesh binary during the closest phase of the flyby. These images, which have been processed for clarity and contrast, show the relative movement of the asteroids as Lucy sped past them. Credit for these images goes to NASA, Goddard, SwRI, and ASU.
Anticipation for Future Insights and Missions
“These captivating images validate the terminal tracking system’s functionality, which remained reliable in the face of an unexpectedly challenging target,” stated Tom Kennedy, a guidance and navigation engineer with Lockheed Martin, based in Littleton, Colorado. “It’s a completely different experience to witness the system in action as opposed to simulating or rehearsing its operation.”
Even though the primary intention behind the encounter was to test engineering capabilities, the science team is eagerly analyzing the data to extract new knowledge about the characteristics of small asteroids.
Keith Noll, the Lucy project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, noted the uniqueness of the observation, “We anticipated that this would be the smallest main belt asteroid ever to be observed closely. The discovery that it’s actually a pair heightens the intrigue. There’s a resemblance to the binary near-Earth asteroid Didymos and its companion Dimorphos, which were observed by DART, but also distinct variances that we’re eager to explore.”
The data retrieval from the flyby will continue for about a week. This information will be vital for assessing the spacecraft’s performance during the encounter and to strategize for the subsequent close encounter with the main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson in 2025. Following this, Lucy will be set to embark on its principal mission to encounter the Jupiter Trojan asteroids starting in 2027.
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Lucy asteroid flyby
What did NASA’s Lucy spacecraft discover during the Dinkinesh flyby?
Lucy spacecraft’s flyby revealed that the main belt asteroid Dinkinesh is a binary system, comprising two asteroids closely orbiting each other.
How did Lucy’s flyby help test the spacecraft’s capabilities?
The flyby served as a test for Lucy’s terminal tracking system, which is designed to autonomously track asteroids at high speeds, validating its functionality in real-world conditions.
What are the dimensions of the two bodies in the Dinkinesh binary system?
The larger body in the binary system is estimated to be about 0.5 miles (790 m) in diameter, and the smaller body is approximately 0.15 miles (220 m).
What does the discovery of the binary system entail for the Lucy mission?
With the addition of the Dinkinesh binary system, Lucy’s mission has expanded from seven to 11 asteroid encounters, providing additional research opportunities.
When will Lucy have its next close encounter with an asteroid?
Lucy is scheduled to have a close encounter with the main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson in 2025, which will be a precursor to the mission’s main target, the Jupiter Trojan asteroids starting in 2027.
More about Lucy asteroid flyby
- NASA Lucy Mission Overview
- Lucy Spacecraft Instruments
- Binary Asteroids and their Significance
- The Jupiter Trojan Asteroids
- The Lucy Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (L’LORRI)
- Main Belt Asteroids Exploration
- The Asteroid Dinkinesh Discovery Press Release
- Future Asteroid Missions and Insights
