by Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP) -The Lucy spaceship from NASA has withdrawn pictures of her latest Asteroid Flyby and revealed a long, clumpy, strange space rock.
The space agency published the pictures on Monday, one day after the close approach. It was considered a turning test for the more critical asteroid encounters closer to Jupiter.
This asteroid is larger than expected scientists, about 8 kilometers long and 2 miles (3.5 kilometers) wide at its widest point -that resembles an irregular bowling pen. It is so long that the spaceship could not fully grasp it in the first downloaded pictures.
According to NASA, the data returned next week should clarify the shape of the asteroid.
Lucy passed on Sunday within 960 kilometers of the harmless asteroid, which is known as Donaldjohanson, in the main girdle between Mars and Jupiter. It is named after the paleontologist who discovered Fossil Lucy 50 years ago in Ethiopia.
The spaceship was launched in 2021 to examine the unexplored so-called Trojaner Sea seeds near Jupiter. Eight Trojan Flybys are planned by 2033.
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