NASA's recent flyby of asteroid Donaldjohanson marks a significant milestone in space exploration, as the Lucy spacecraft transmitted striking images that reveal the asteroid's peculiar shape, reminiscent of a lumpy bowling pin. Measuring approximately five miles long and two miles wide, the asteroid was found to be larger than previously anticipated . This discovery highlights the unexpected complexities inherent in studying celestial bodies within our solar system.
Donaldjohanson – which was named after the anthropologist who discovered the fossils of a human ancestor called Lucy – is what's known as a contact binary, with a couple of ridges in its narrow neck. In today's image advisory, NASA compares the ridged structure to a pair of nested ice cream cones.
"Asteroid Donaldjohanson has strikingly complicated geology," said Hal Levison, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute who serves as the Lucy mission's principal investigator.
"As we study the complex structures in detail, they will reveal important information about the building blocks and collisional processes that formed the planets in our solar system."
This asteroid is bigger than scientists anticipated, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) long and 2 miles (3.5 kilometers) wide at its widest point — resembling an irregular bowling pin. It’s so long that the spacecraft couldn’t capture it in its entirety in the initial downloaded images.
NASA.
Lucy passed within 600 miles (960 kilometers) of the harmless asteroid known as Donaldjohanson on Sunday in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It’s named for the paleontologist who discovered the fossil Lucy 50 years ago in Ethiopia.
The flyby took place on April 6, 2025, serving as a precursor to Lucy's primary mission: investigating Trojan asteroids near Jupiter . The initial images captured by the spacecraft did not encompass the entire form of Donaldjohanson due to its considerable size; however, further data is anticipated to provide a more comprehensive understanding of its structure . This mission underscores NASA's commitment to advancing our knowledge of asteroids and their characteristics.
In addition to its scientific significance, the naming of asteroid Donaldjohanson pays homage to the discoverer of the famous "Lucy" fossil. This connection adds an intriguing layer to NASA's exploration efforts and emphasizes the interplay between paleontology and planetary science . As researchers continue analyzing data from this flyby, they aim to unlock more secrets about both this unique asteroid and similar celestial entities within our solar system.
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