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Asteroid Donaldjohanson, as seen by the Lucy spacecraft during its close flyby. The asteroid looks like two lobes, attached by a thinner cylinder, like a barbell with very large weights. One lobe is smaller than the other. Although they are both about the same circumference, the smaller lobe is less wide than the other. The asteroid is a smooth, light gray surface, with smooth-edged craters dimpling its surface. The larger lobe has many more craters.

NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Images Asteroid Donaldjohanson

The asteroid Donaldjohanson as seen by the Lucy Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (L’LORRI). This is one of the most detailed images returned by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft during its flyby. This image was taken at 1:51 p.m. EDT (17:51 UTC), April 20, 2025, near closest approach, from a range of approximately 660 miles (1,100 km). The spacecraft’s closest approach distance was 600 miles (960 km), but the image shown was taken approximately 40 seconds beforehand. The image has been sharpened and processed to enhance contrast.

Image Credit: NASA/Goddard/SwRI/Johns Hopkins APL/NOIRLab

TakenApril 20, 2025

Image CreditNASA/Goddard/SwRI/Johns Hopkins APL/NOIRLab

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