Easter Sunday will certainly not be a rest day for the astronomy community.
Everyone’s eyes will be on NASA’s asteroid-study Lucy The spacecraft, which is due to a close encounter on EDT (1751 GMT) on 20 April 2025 at 1:51 pm.
Launched in 2021, Lucy is on a 12 -year journey BupeterDuring which the investigation will perform eight flybis Troogen asteroid In a search to learn about the origin of Solar systemSearching for the elements that can increase the rise of life. But before reaching Lucy there, the spacecraft will have time for some dress rehearsals.
The first was a flyb of asteroid Dininkinesh On 1 November, 2023. This Sunday coming on Sunday, Lucy will zip before its second target, The Esteroid DonaldohansonLucy will pass Asteroid At a distance of about 620 miles (1,000 km), test its science devices in this process.
Those devices include L’Ralph, a color camera and an infrared imaging spectrometer; L’S llori, high-resolution Lucy Long Range Honor Imagera; And L’TES, distant infrared loose thermal emission spectrometer.
“We are going to inspect (Donaldzohanson) Professor Phil Crustenson, who said L’TES, as” we wanted to do a complete practice. ” Video interviewThe goal, he shares, is to find out the composition of asteroid.
Lucy and Donaldohanson are more and more connected with their upcoming physical proximity. NASA Mission was named Ethiopia in 1974 named after the three million year old fossil Australopithesin skeleton, which contributed to our understanding of human development. And who discovered those bones? Pelionthropologist Donald Johansson, founder of the Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University.
Johansson spoke with Christians during a video interview to discuss the Lucy Mission, and Christian had a very important question to ask. If, as scientists estimate, a secondary asteroid is discovered during Donaldohanson flyb – asteroids often travel in pairs – Johansson would like to name it?
“Oh, I am going to give some real views,” Johansson said.
