NASA Flyby Reveals Violent Origin of Weird Peanut-Shaped Asteroid
NASA's Lucy spacecraft captured detailed images of the peanut-shaped asteroid Donaldjohanson during a recent flyby. Researchers believe the asteroid is a fragment from a violent collision 155 million years ago, providing new insights into solar system evolution.
Why it matters
Understanding the origins of asteroids helps scientists refine models of how the solar system formed and how near-Earth objects evolve.
On April 20, 2025, the Lucy spacecraft swooped by an odd-looking asteroid, capturing close-up views of its peanut-shaped body and cratered surface. The images told a brutal origin story, one that helped scientists trace the main belt asteroid to a collision that took place 155 million years ago.
Scientific reporting based on published research and mission data.
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