Nasa's Lucy Mission Uncovers Secrets of Unique Asteroid Shape

WHO:

NASA - The organization responsible for the Lucy mission.

Simone Marchi - Lead scientist from the Southwest Research Institute involved in the study of asteroid Donaldjohanson.

WHAT:

NASA - The Lucy spacecraft made a flyby of asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson.

Gizmodo - The asteroid Donaldjohanson is described as a peanut-shaped body with a cratered surface.

Gizmodo - The asteroid measures approximately 5 miles long (8 kilometers) and 2 miles wide (3.5 kilometers).

NASA - The asteroid is likely a member of the Erigone family, which consists of nearly 1,800 identified objects.

NASA - The asteroid's surface shows evidence of a more recent impact that resulted in seismic shaking.

WHERE:

NASA - The flyby occurred in the main asteroid belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Gizmodo - The asteroid Donaldjohanson is named after the anthropologist who discovered the fossilized skeleton called Lucy.

WHEN:

NASA - The Lucy spacecraft made its flyby of asteroid Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2025.

Gizmodo - The Lucy mission was launched in October 2021.

Gizmodo - Lucy made a close flyby of the Dinkinesh asteroid on November 1, 2023.

NASA - Lucy will begin its tour of the Trojan asteroids in 2027.

WHY:

Gizmodo - The observations from Lucy help trace the asteroid's origin to a collision that occurred 155 million years ago.

NASA - The findings provide clues about the evolutionary processes of near-Earth asteroids and the formation of the solar system.

HOW:

NASA - The Lucy spacecraft captured close-up images of the asteroid during its flyby, coming within 600 miles (960 kilometers) of the surface.

Gizmodo - The asteroid was formed from fragments that coalesced after a violent collision.

(UPDATED June 18, 2026 19:47 UTC)

NASA's Lucy spacecraft successfully made a flyby of asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson, which is a peanut-shaped body measuring approximately 5 miles long and 2 miles wide, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Lead scientist Simone Marchi from the Southwest Research Institute noted that the asteroid's surface shows evidence of a recent impact, providing insights into its origin linked to a collision that occurred 155 million years ago. Lucy, launched in October 2021, captured close-up images of the asteroid during its flyby on April 20, 2025, and will begin its tour of the Trojan asteroids in 2027.