Asteroid Donaldjohanson is Wobbly, Peanut-Shaped Object with Watery Past, Scientists Say
NASA's Lucy spacecraft has provided new data on the asteroid Donaldjohanson, revealing it is a peanut-shaped, wobbly object with a history involving liquid water. The asteroid was formed from a catastrophic collision 155 million years ago and exhibits complex rotation patterns.
Why it matters
Understanding the composition and history of asteroids like Donaldjohanson provides critical insights into the early formation and water migration patterns of our Solar System.
The main-belt asteroid Donaldjohanson , a heavily cratered fragment born from a catastrophic breakup 155 million years ago, appears to wobble through space while preserving clues to the migration of water-rich worlds in the early Solar System, according to a new analysis of images and data from NASA’s Lucy spacecraft.
The article is a scientific report based on NASA mission data and peer-reviewed findings.
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