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CNN —Engineers at NASA have successfully fired up a set of thrusters Voyager 1 hasn’t used in decades to solve an issue that could keep the 47-year-old spacecraft from communicating with Earth from billions of miles away. Currently the farthest spacecraft from Earth, Voyager 1 is about 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) away. Earlier this year, engineers spotted an issue when the fuel tube inside one of Voyager’s thrusters became clogged. Engineers switched again to the trajectory correction thruster set in 2018 when the second set also appeared clogged. Once the spacecraft has exhausted this thruster set, Voyager 1’s remaining option is the other already clogged set of attitude propulsion thrusters.
Persons: Calla, , It’s, Todd Barber, Suzanne Dodd, ” Barber Organizations: CNN — Engineers, NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, Caltech, Engineers Locations: Pasadena , California
A river otter attacked a child at a marina in Bremerton, Washington, pulling the boy underwater and biting him before he was rescued by his mother. The mother told authorities that the river otter pulled her son into the water and dragged him underneath. The river otter continued to pursue the family as they left the dock," the agency said. The otter was captured and taken to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for further evaluation and testing for rabies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services works to "trap and lethally remove" river otters from the marina, the fish and wildlife agency said.
Persons: WDFW, Ken Balazs, child’s, Matt Leffers Organizations: Bremerton Marina, state's Department of Fish, Disease, Lab, U.S . Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, NBC News Locations: Bremerton , Washington, Kitsap County, Washington, Jupiter , Florida, Montana, California, Serene, Placer County
The approval was a relief to the Europa Clipper team after the discovery in May of a possible issue with transistors on the spacecraft. Europa Clipper carries 10 science instruments that could determine whether life is possible on another place in our solar system besides Earth. Now, Europa Clipper has been approved to launch, with no changes to the mission plan, goals or trajectory. Exploring an ocean worldWhen Curt Niebur, Europa Clipper program scientist, began working at NASA in 2003, he faced the task of pushing a Europa mission forward. Each year, the effort to get Europa Clipper designed and built has seemed more difficult, he said.
Persons: NASA’s, we’re, , Nicola Fox, Jupiter’s, Jordan Evans, Evans, , ” Evans, Curt Niebur, ” Niebur, It’s, we’ve, That’s, Niebur, Laurie Leshin Organizations: CNN, Clipper, NASA, Europa Clipper, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight, Science, JPL, , Juno Locations: Pasadena , California, Laurel , Maryland, Greenbelt , Maryland, flybys, Europa, gush
The spacecraft successfully launched and delivered NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station in June. But what seemed like an eight-day jaunt turned into months of questions surrounding Starliner’s ability to return the crew safely to Earth. NASAAfter nearly three months, the Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth without the two test pilots after undocking from the space station Friday night and parachuting into the New Mexico desert early Saturday. Starliner is the first US-made capsule to parachute to a ground landing, rather than splashing into the ocean. It remains to be seen how and when Starliner will be certified to carry astronauts regularly to space.
Persons: Boeing’s, , Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, jaunt, Starliner, Williams, , Butch, Suni, , Steve Stich, mako, Guillermo López, Wells, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Radian Aerospace, NASA, International Space Station, Boeing, Starliner, European Union, Spanish, NSF, Cornell University, CNN Space, Science Locations: Seattle, New Mexico, Cod, Massachusetts, Zamora, Philippines, Luzon, Scotland
CNN —Jupiter’s moon Ganymede may have shifted on its axis when a massive asteroid smashed into it about 4 billion years ago, according to a new study. Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, is even bigger than Mercury and the dwarf planet Pluto. The crater left behind on Ganymede was 25% the size of the Jupiter moon, according to the study. Understanding how the impact altered the moon could reveal insights into its intriguing internal structure, Hirata said. “I want to understand the origin and evolution of Ganymede and other Jupiter moons,” he said.
Persons: , Naoyuki Hirata, Hirata, what’s, mission’s, It’s, Adeene Denton, Denton, , we’re Organizations: CNN, Mercury, Kobe University, Pluto, Laboratory, University of Arizona, Sputnik Locations: Japan, Chicxulub, Mexico
CNN —Ancient Egypt’s pyramids, pharaohs and artifacts delight the imagination, reigniting wonder of the distant past in every generation. Experts are also using the latest techniques to spill secrets hidden within discoveries made decades ago, with new research this week “digitally dissecting” an unusual mummy found in 1935. The "screaming woman" whose mummified remains were discovered in 1935 may have died violently, a new study suggests. — To keep swimmers and beachgoers safe, scientists are using artificial intelligence to detect juvenile sharks, which like to hang out near the shore. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.
Persons: Sahar Saleem, Saleem, Saleem couldn’t, Venus, Guillermo Legaria, Lonely Guy, , Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Kasr Al, Cairo University, Mercury, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA, JPL, Caltech Venus, Lonely, , CNN Space, Science Locations: ., Damietta, Egypt, Luxor, New York City, Kasr Al Ainy, Europe, Asia, Thailand, Southeast Asia
Venus atmosphere shows potential signs of life — again
  + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +11 min
“We’re a long way from saying this, but if there is life on Venus producing phosphine, we have no idea why it’s producing it. So finding them in the atmosphere of Venus is interesting on that basis as well. But further analysis of that data by Clements’ team revealed weak traces of the molecule, reinforcing the theory. “To date, our analyses remain unchallenged in the literature,” said Mogul, who was not involved in the research of Clements’ team. While detecting phosphine and ammonia in Venus’ clouds is exciting, it is just the beginning of a longer journey to unravel the mysteries of that planet’s atmosphere, he said.
Persons: James, Maxwell, “ There’s, , Dave Clements, , we’ve, Clements, ” Clements, Venus, Clements ’, Rakesh Mogul, Jane Greaves, NASA's, ” Greaves, Greaves, Javier Martin, Torres, Martín, Kate Pattle, ” Pattle, Pattle Organizations: CNN, Astronomical Society, Imperial College London, NASA, JPL, Caltech, Saturn, Venus, Telescope, California State Polytechnic University, ” Mogul, Cardiff University, Green Bank, Royal Astronomical Society, European Space Agency, University of Aberdeen, University College London Locations: Hull, England, Hawaii, SOFIA, ALMA, Pomona, United Kingdom, West Virginia
The covert nature of Brahe’s work was common among alchemists of the Renaissance, who kept their knowledge close to the vest. “Tungsten had not even been described at that time, so what should we infer from its presence on a shard from Tycho Brahe’s alchemy workshop?” Rasmussen said. In addition to serving as Brahe's home, Uraniborg functioned as a scientific center where students across Europe came to live and work. And Brahe himself wrote that the king was eager to support the scientist’s work in both astronomy and alchemy. Given the amount of gold found in Brahe’s remains, he may have also taken medicine containing potable, or drinkable, gold.
Persons: Tycho Brahe, Brahe, Kaare Lund Rasmussen, Poul Grinder, Hansen, Uraniborg, Lund University Gold, Rasmussen, , “ Tungsten, ” Rasmussen, Ann Ronan, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, Juan José, Fausto d’Elhuyar y de Suvisa, wolfram, Georgius Agricola, Agricola, Lawrence Principe, Drew, ” Principe, King Frederick II of Denmark, De Agostini, Paracelsus, Rudolph II, Emperor, Stjerneborg, , ” Brahe, Isaac Newton, Johns, King Frederick II’s, Christian IV, Johannes Kepler, Kepler, Newton, Galileo Galilei Organizations: CNN, University of Southern, National Museum of Denmark, Heritage, Lund University, Getty Images, Humanities, Singleton Center, Johns Hopkins University, De Agostini Editorial, Culture, Hulton, Art, Sun, Scientific Locations: Danish, Ven, Sweden, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Europe, Baltimore . Principe, Norway, Uraniborg, Brahe’s, Mercury, Principe, Johns Hopkins
CNN —From a young age, award-winning artist Tara Shakti knew she wanted to pursue a career creating paintings that empowered other women. Tara Shakti will be the first Malagasy artist to have her work sent to the moon. The main criterion for nomination is that artists’ work should have been included in a curated exhibit, collection, anthology or similar. Tara ShaktiThe artist was invited by Peralta to submit her work for the project after he discovered her paintings through social media earlier this year. “To have my work launched to the moon is an honor of immeasurable magnitude,” Shakti told CNN in an email.
Persons: Tara Shakti, Shakti, , , NASA ”, Samuel Peralta, ” Peralta, Peralta, Leonardo da Vinci, Shakti's, Shakti’s, NASA’s, Tara Shakti “, Tara Shakti’s, Ada Limón, Didi Mendez, they’re Organizations: CNN, SpaceX, NASA, Codex Polaris, Heavy, Embassy of, NASA’s Europa Clipper Locations: Madagascar, Africa, Florence, Paris, Canadian, Toronto, New York, Embassy, Embassy of Madagascar, France, Cuban American
The surface feature is Mare Tranquillitatis, or the Sea of Tranquility, where the Apollo 11 mission landed on the afternoon of July 20, 1969. Scientists have discovered a large lunar cave connected to a pit found within the moon's Sea of Tranquility. NASA/Goddard/Arizona State UniversityScientists have found a subterranean cavity beneath the Sea of Tranquility, and it may provide shelter for future lunar astronauts in the form of a cave. Lunar caves, or underground passages formed by volcanic processes during the moon’s early history, are connected to pits covering the lunar surface. The long, wide cave, found by reviewing archival NASA data, could be used to protect astronauts from harsh radiation and extreme temperature swings as well as provide a new avenue to study lunar rocks.
Persons: revel, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Artemis, Ramses, Hamilton, Lori Hilton, Maine coons, squint, , Dana Varble, Sharp, Jürgen, Missy Elliott’s, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, Goddard, Arizona State University Scientists, European Space Agency, French bulldogs, North American Veterinary Community, Space Agency, Sharks, New, CNN Space, Science Locations: Maine, Hamilton, Mexico, Mexican, Nuevo, Argentina, Americas, New Zealand, , Cambodia, New York City, New Jersey
CNN —July’s full moon will shine bright in the sky this weekend — and lands near the anniversary of a special lunar event worth celebrating. The full moon — nicknamed the buck moon — will peak at 6:17 a.m. “The first moon landing was in the afternoon on (July 20, 1969), and then they did the moonwalk that night,” Petro said. Lunar discoveriesNASA’s Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. Petro recommends observing the full moon with these recent findings and future space missions in mind.
Persons: CNN —, It’s, Noah Petro, ” Petro, , Neil, Armstrong, Aldrin, Michael Collins, Petro, , Artemis III Organizations: CNN, Reconnaissance, Artemis, NASA, Farmers Locations: Northern, Southern
Africa is doubling down on its space ambitions
  + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +8 min
“It was really giving me a hard time in my mind.”Now Ouattara is helping to lead Africa into space. Early this year, Ouattara became the first president of the African Space Council, which oversees the newly inaugurated African Space Agency (AfSA). VCG/Getty ImagesAfrica’s space industry could be worth $22.6 billion by 2026, up from $19.5 billion in 2021, according to the consultancy Space in Africa. Better data from Earth observation could unlock more than $2 billion in value for Africa, according to a 2021 report by the World Economic Forum. More than 20 countries now have national space programs, and African nations budgeted more than $400 million for the sector in 2024, according to Space in Africa.
Persons: Tidiane Ouattara, , , Ouattara, Temidayo Oniosun, Aloyce, Deche, Andrew Nyawade, Simon Maina, that’s, “ It’s, Oniosun, ” Oniosun, ” Ouattara Organizations: CNN, Moon, African Union Commission, African Space Council, Space Agency, , World Economic, World Bank Group, Kenya Space Agency, University of Nairobi, Getty, African Development Bank, European Space Agency Locations: Ivory Coast , West Africa, stargaze, Canada, Africa, Ivory Coast, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, Egypt, Cairo, ” Africa, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Bulgaria, AFP,
The star is one of a binary pair, so the planet orbits the primary star, while the primary star orbits a secondary star. While Jupiter takes 4,000 Earth days to complete one orbit around the sun, hot Jupiters complete one orbit every few days. Astronomers use “eccentric” to refer to the shape of a planet’s orbit on a scale from zero to 1. “It’s a pretty extreme process in that the changes to the planet’s orbit are massive,” Millholland said. Discovering a second hot Jupiter precursor is helping astronomers to confirm the idea that high-mass gas giants transform into hot Jupiters as they migrate from eccentric to circular orbits, the researchers said.
Persons: , , Arvind Gupta, NOIRLab, Gupta, Suvrath Mahadevan, Verne, Willaman, Jason Wright, ” Wright, ” Gupta, Sarah Millholland, , ” Millholland, Wright, James Webb Organizations: CNN —, Penn State, Astronomy, Mercury, NASA, Massachusetts Institute, Technology’s Kavli, for Astrophysics, Space Research, chrysalis Locations: Kitt, Arizona
The equipment issue on the spacecraft could result in a lengthy delay of the mission, Europa Clipper, which NASA classifies as “flagship,” a designation for its most scientifically significant endeavors. Experts say that if the spacecraft launches in October, as scheduled, it may fall short of its scientific objective of assessing whether anything could live on Europa. At issue is the ability of the transistors, the electric switches that are the building blocks of computer chips and other electronics, to resist the powerful radiation of the Jovian system. Space is awash in radiation caused by forces such as cosmic rays and solar eruptions, and every spacecraft requires some level of radiation protection. But Europa orbits inside a particularly perilous region of space called the Jovian radiation belt, where conditions can be over 50 times more radioactive than those found around Earth.
Organizations: NASA, Europa Clipper
Now, data from the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed another intriguing feature of the planet known as HD 189733b: It smells like rotten eggs. Located only 64 light-years from Earth, HD 189733b is the nearest hot Jupiter that astronomers can study as the planet passes in front of its star. HD 189733b only takes about two Earth days to complete a single orbit around its star, Fu said. Webb’s data also showed levels of heavy metals on HD 189733b that are similar to those found on Jupiter. “HD 189733b is a benchmark planet, but it represents just a single data point,” Fu said.
Persons: James Webb, , Guangwei Fu, Fu, ” Fu, Webb, they’re, Organizations: CNN, Johns Hopkins University
That’s the odds of making two holes-in-one in a single round, according to the National Hole-In-One Registry. Bensel Jr. has played six events on the PGA Tour since 1998, most recently at the 2021 PGA Championship, though is yet to make the cut. His appearance at the US Senior Open marks his third on the PGA Tour Champions and the first since a 77th place finish at the Senior PGA Championship in 2021. Bensel Jr. plays from the fairway during the 2021 Senior PGA Championship at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Last year’s victory – Langer’s 46th on the PGA Tour Champions and 12th senior major – saw the two-time Masters winner become the most successful golfer in the circuit’s history.
Persons: Frank Bensel Jr, , acing, Seamus Power, holing, , Bensel, Bensel Jr, Montana Pritchard, Bernhard Langer, Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita, Australia’s Richard Green Organizations: CNN, US, Newport Country Club, PGA, Augusta National, United States Golf Association, Senior, Southern Hills Country Club, America Locations: Jupiter, Florida, Rhode, United States, Tulsa , Oklahoma
The same could not be said for their sprawling entertainment businesses. The three men meet occasionally to discuss the state of the industry, and lively disagreements have a been a staple of their discussions. But by the time they met on the yacht, they had all agreed that the money-losing status quo in the streaming business was unsustainable. “There was peace in the valley for a period of time,” Mr. Malone mused in a rare recent interview, recalling the days before video-streaming upended the lucrative cable business. Disney laid off thousands of workers and pushed out its chief executive as streaming losses mounted, and had to fend off a proxy contest from the activist investor Nelson Peltz.
Persons: Brian Roberts, John Malone, Barry Diller, Diller’s, ” Mr, Malone, Nelson Peltz Organizations: Mr, Arriva, Paramount, CBS, Warner Bros, Disney Locations: Jupiter, Fla
CNN —Jupiter’s iconic Great Red Spot is a massive storm that has swirled within the atmosphere of the largest planet in the solar system for years. The Great Red Spot is a massive vortex within Jupiter’s atmosphere that is about 10,159 miles (16,350 kilometers) wide, which is similar to Earth’s diameter, according to NASA. Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty ImagesWhile the first two scenarios resulted in cyclones, they differed in shape and other characteristics witnessed in the Great Red Spot. But the researchers believe that the persistent atmospheric storm cell, which resulted from intense wind instability, produced the Great Red Spot. Previous research, published in March 2018, has shown that the Great Red Spot is growing taller as it shrinks in size overall.
Persons: Giovanni Domenico Cassini, Ann Ronan, Cassini, , Agustín Sánchez, Lavega, , updrafts, Donato Creti, Vincenzo Pinto, Michael Wong, ” Wong Organizations: CNN, Research, NASA, University of, Visitors, Vatican Museum, University of California Locations: Italian, Basque, Bilbao, Spain, AFP, Berkeley
Editor’s note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. The Triceratops fossil emerged first as it eroded from the rock of the Hell Creek Formation in 2006. Across the universeAn artist's illustration shows a supermassive black hole as it wakes up at the center of a faraway galaxy. M. Kornmesser/ESOAstronomers are watching a supermassive black hole awakening in the middle of a distant galaxy for the first time. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers Ashley Strickland and Katie Hunt.
Persons: dino, rex, Mark Eatman, , Eatman, Sergey Krasovskiy, Lokiceratops rangiformis, Lokiceratops, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, won’t, Stephen Hawking, Robert Erwan Fordyce, Benjamin Kear, Martin Bernetti, Fernando Trujillo, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, NASA, International Space Station, Boeing, ESO, University of Otago, Southern Hemisphere, Uppsala University’s Museum, Evolution, Getty, CNN Space, Science Locations: what’s, Montana, Raleigh, what's, Maribo, Denmark, British, New Zealand, Pangea, Uppsala, Sweden, Nui, Chile, AFP, Easter, Rapa, Colombian
Currently the farthest spacecraft from Earth, Voyager 1 stopped communicating coherently with mission control in November 2023. However, data from Voyager 1’s four science instruments, which study plasma waves, magnetic fields and particles, remained elusive. On May 19, the Voyager team sent a command to the spacecraft to start returning science data. Now, all four instruments are beaming back usable science data, according to an update shared by NASA on June 13. )”Long-lived space missionsMeanwhile, Voyager 1 is back to doing what it does best: Sharing insights from uncharted cosmic territory.
Persons: , ” Long, Suzanne Dodd, ” Dodd Organizations: CNN, NASA, Voyager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, Neptune Locations: Pasadena , California
Now, a new study that looked at 5 million stars in the Milky Way galaxy suggests that seven candidates could potentially be hosting Dyson spheres — a finding that’s attracting scrutiny and alternate theories. If Dyson spheres really exist, what could they be used for? “Freeman Dyson said that we should dismantle Jupiter — the whole planet (for the raw materials).”That supercolossal scale probably means that Dyson spheres, if they exist at all, are very rare. “However, contamination by circumstellar debris disks, which mimic Dyson Sphere infrared signatures, remains a concern,” he added in an email. However, he added, the radiation fingerprint of the seven Dyson sphere candidates might be explained by natural phenomena as well.
Persons: Freeman Dyson, , Dyson, Olaf Stapledon’s, George Dyson, , Freeman J, couldn’t, Matías Suazo, Suazo, , Webb, that’s, Gabriella Contardo, NASA’s James Webb, ” Suazo, “ Freeman Dyson, Jason Wright, James Webb, , Leslie Surginer, ” George Dyson, Tomotsugu Goto, Zaza Osmanov, ” Osmanov, George Organizations: CNN, Institute of, , , AP, Dyson, SETI Institute, Fermi, Accelerator Laboratory, Fermilab, Royal Astronomical Society, Uppsala University, NASA, Survey, JPL, ESA, European Space Agency, Micron, Sky Survey, University of Massachusetts, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, International School, Studies, Telescope, Penn State University, James Webb Space Telescope, William Press, Computer Science, University of Texas, Tsing Hua, SETI, of Physics, Free University of Tbilisi Locations: British, Princeton , New Jersey, Sweden, Trieste, Italy, Austin, Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, Georgia
WASP 107b: The exoplanet that shouldn't existAn artist's impression of WASP 107b passing in front of its host star. But models suggested that WASP 107b's core would be too small to have formed a gas giant. Scientific models didn't align with observationsHubble images of WASP 107b didn't solve the mystery of its large size and low density. Venom82Why it took astronomers years to understand WASP 107b's mysterious origins stems from what many astronomers face: a lack of information due to technological limits. But WASP 107b's surface temperature was cold enough that it should have had more methane than what JWST observed.
Persons: , they've, it's, David Sing, NASA's, Luis Welbanks, Sagan, James Webb, Welbanks —, Sing, Welbanks, Ralf Crawford, we're, Scott Gaudi, Gaudi, Olmsted, Russo Organizations: Service, Business, ESA, Hubble, NASA, Kornmesser, Bloomberg, Johns Hopkins University, WASP, NASA's Goddard Space Flight, ESO, Arizona State University, Telescope, Sing, WASP 107b's, CSA, JHU, Ohio State University
Why we need to know what time it is on the moon
  + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +6 min
CNN —It’s easy to take the moon for granted as a silvery orb in the night sky, providing a soft light on most evenings. The new system of measurement that NASA and its international partners need to agree on will have to account for the fact that seconds tick by faster on the moon. But it will be crucial for astronauts living in lunar habitats and scooting around in moon buggies who need to know exactly what time it is. We are familyA digital reconstruction of a Bronze Age woman's face is on display at Scotland's Perth Museum and Art Gallery. And now, researchers know what creates their unusual fur pattern: a mutation affecting a gene called KIT, which controls hair color.
Persons: CNN —, Albert Einstein’s, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Joe Skipper, Chris Rynn, Julius Caesar, Gaul, Ari Kankainen, NASA’s Lucy, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, Boeing, Veteran NASA, Perth Museum, Art, Culture, Kinross, CNN Space, Science Locations: North America, Europe, Southern Hemisphere, Culture Perth, Scotland, Indre, France, Finnish, Petäjävesi, Italy
The order in which the planets will align on Sunday is Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn, and they will be accompanied by a crescent moon. The alignment will be visible to sky-watchers everywhere, but the ideal date to see the planets with the closest alignment might differ depending on where you are in the world. Planetary alignments: What to knowIt’s important to note that this alignment is not happening in space, but just in the sky as seen from our planet. This kind of planetary alignment is in fact not rare at all. “Jupiter will be the easiest to spot, because it’ll be the brightest thing in the sky after the moon,” Pattle said.
Persons: You’ll, , James O’Donoghue, there’s, O’Donoghue, “ It’s, Kate Pattle, “ There’s, they’re, ” Pattle, , we’ll, Pattle, it’ll Organizations: CNN, University of Reading, Mercury, University College London Locations: United Kingdom, Europe, North America
CNN —Astronomers were in for a surprise when NASA’s Lucy mission flew by an asteroid named Dinkinesh in November and spotted a contact binary — two smaller space rocks that touch each other — orbiting the asteroid like a moon. “Basically, the planets formed when zillions of smaller objects orbiting the Sun, like asteroids, ran into each other. The Lucy mission captured additional imagery revealing that the asteroid Dinkinesh’s moon is actually two space rocks that are touching one another. Too distant to be seen in detail with telescopes, the asteroids will get their close-up when Lucy reaches the Trojans in 2027. The mission borrows its name from the Lucy fossil, the remains of an ancient human ancestor discovered in Ethiopia in 1974.
Persons: NASA’s Lucy, Dinky ”, , Hal Levison, Lucy, Dinkinesh, Goddard, Johns Hopkins, Keith Noll, Jessica Sunshine, ” Levison, Sunshine, Selam, “ I’m, , NASA Galileo, Ida, Lucy’s, NASA Lucy, ” Sunshine, Dinky Organizations: CNN —, Southwest Research, NASA, Goddard Space Flight, University of Maryland, College Locations: Boulder , Colorado, Greenbelt , Maryland, Dinkinesh, Ethiopia, Jupiter
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