Johns Hopkins University (JHU) continues to pad its space community résumé with their interactive map, “The map of the observable Universe”, that takes viewers on a 13.7-billion-year-old tour of the cosmos from the present to the moments after the Big Bang. While JHU is responsible for creating the site, additional contributions were made by NASA, the European Space Agency, the National Science Foundation, and the Sloan Foundation.
How NASA's Lucy probe will investigate the red Trojan asteroids near Jupiter. Click on the link and take Geologie's free skincare quiz to save up to 50% off on your first purchase. SUBSCRIBE for more videos about our other planets. Subscribe! Facebook! Twitter! Donate! Patreon: Ethereum Wallet: 0x5F8cf793962ae8Df4Cba017E7A6159a104744038 Become a Patron today and support Astrum! Donate link above. I can't do it without you. Patreons can help pick the next Astrum Answers in a fortnightly poll. Thanks to those who have supported so far! Astrum Hindi: Astrum Spanish: Image Credits: NASA/ESA/ESO/Hubble Music Credit: Andrew Odd - Equation Water Drips - Auroras
An early morning launch is planned for the Lucy spacecraft, the first space mission to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids. Tomorrow, October 16, 2021 at 5:34 a.m. EDT is the first day and time in Lucy’s 21-day launch window, and current weather conditions show a 90% chance of favorable conditions for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch window remains open for 75 minutes.
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 401 rocket will deliver NASA’s Lucy spacecraft to a hyperbolic orbit (or interplanetary trajectory). Lift off will occur from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Illustration of the Lucy spacecraft’s orbit around Jupiter, which will allow it to study its Trojan population. Credit: South west Research Institute
Lucy mission logo. Credit: South West Research Institute
Lead image caption: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with the Lucy spacecraft aboard is seen at Space Launch Complex 41, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls. On Oct. 16, 2021, our Lucy spacecraft will begin its journey to visit a record-breaking number of asteroids. The 12-year mission starts from NASA's Kennedy Space Center where it'll launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket. From there, Lucy will be the first spacecraft to visit a record number of destinations in independent orbits around the sun – one main belt asteroid and seven of Jupiter's Trojan Asteroids. Like the mission's namesake – the fossilized human ancestor, "Lucy," whose skeleton provided unique insight into humanity's evolution – Lucy will revolutionize our knowledge of planetary origins and the formation of the solar system. Lucy’s first launch attempt in its 21-day launch window is scheduled for 5:34 a.m. EDT on Oct. 16 2021 Launch coverage starts at 5 a.m. EDT on NASA TV, the NASA app, and @NASA social media. Be a part of Lucy's historic launch day by using the hashtag #LucyMission! Producer/Editor: Lacey Young Music: Universal Production Music
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft is on its way. The spacecraft was launched into space on Saturday, October 16th 2021 on an Atlas 5 rocket. Its primary target is Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids.
The two groups of Trojans are named the “Trojan camp” and the “Greek camp.” The white ring is the main asteroid belt. Image Credit: By Mdf at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain,
Scientists have had the opportunity to examine several asteroids in the Solar System now, and what they’ve learned is how much variety is out there, depending on the mass, distance from the Sun and composition. Astronomers currently know of 829,400 asteroids across the Solar System, and they’d love to visit as many of them as possible to learn more about them. Considering the price of a single spacecraft, that’s going to get expensive. Fortunately, there are places in the Solar System that have trapped a large number of asteroids in a way that a single spacecraft can visit several of them as part of a mission. They’re at Jupiter’s L4 and L5 Lagrange points, and this week NASA approved a new mission that’ll explore 7 different asteroids over a 12-year journey. It’s called Lucy. Our Book is out! Audio Podcast versions: ITunes: RSS: Video Podcast version: ITunes: RSS: What is Fraser's Watching Playlist: Universetoday's youtube channel Sign up to my weekly email newsletter: Weekly Space Hangout: Astronomy Cast: Support us at:Support us at: Follow us on Tumblr: More stories at Follow us on Twitter: @universetoday Like us on Facebook: Instagram - Support us at:Support us at: Instagram - Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com /Karla Thompson - @karlaii Chad Weber - Chloe Cain - Instagram: @chloegwen2001 Music: Left Spine Down - “X-Ray” Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com Karla Thompson - @karlaii / Karla Thompson's youtube channel Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com References: NASA’s Lucy Mission Clears Critical Milestone The Trojan Asteroids: Keys to Many Locks (PDF) chrome browser blocks?? Lucy: The First Mission to the Trojan Asteroids Mission Targets Asteroids: Structure and composition of asteroids MARTIAN MOONS: PHOBOS The Lucy Spacecraft and Payload
This diagram illustrates Lucy’s orbital path. The spacecraft’s path (green) is shown in a frame of reference where Jupiter remains stationary, giving the trajectory its pretzel-like shape. Credit: Southwest Research Institute
Artist’s impression of Lucy with two of its target asteroids, the binary pair Patroclus and Menoetius. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab/Adriana Gutierrez
A technician at Lockheed Martin Space in Denver, Colorado, inspects one of Lucy’s 24 feet (7.3 meters) diameter solar arrays. Credit: NASA/Lockheed Martin.
Artist’s concept of the Lucy spacecraft flying by Eurybates, one of the six diverse and scientifically important Trojans to be studied. . Credit: SWRI
Full podcast episodes: Support: Follow: Follow: on twitter Follow:on Facebook Watch on YouTube: Go on an adventure: Paul M. Sutter's youtube play list!! What are the different kinds of asteroids? What are they made of? How can we send missions to capture them, and what will we do once we get one? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman! Hosted by Paul M. Sutter, astrophysicist at The Ohio State University, Chief Scientist at COSI Science Center, and the one and only Agent to the Stars Paul's website Keep those questions about space, science, astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology coming to #AskASpaceman for COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF TIME AND SPACE! 00:00 Asteroid Basics 04:36 Asteroid Riches 09:50 Mining Challenges 16:33 Worth the Effort? 19:49 Asteroid Redirection
Lucy’s incredible folding solar arrays.
This artist's illustration shows NASA's Lucy spacecraft close to one of its targets. NASA has added another asteroid, the eleventh, to Lucy's mission. Image Credit: NASA/SWRI/GSFC
Moonlet rise over Dinkinesh as seen from NASA's Lucy spacecraft, taken within a minute of closest approach. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SwRI/Johns Hopkins APL/NOAO
On Nov. 1 2023, NASA's Lucy spacecraft will fly by the small Main Belt asteroid Dinkinesh (previously known as 1999 VD57). This asteroid flyby was added to Lucy’s list of targets in January 2023. The primary purpose of the Dinkinesh encounter is to test the spacecraft’s Terminal Tracking System, which will keep Lucy's instruments pointing at the asteroid as it flies by at 10,000 miles per hour. The Lucy mission’s record-breaking tour will now explore at least ten small solar system bodies. Lucy will have the close approach with Dinkinesh as the spacecraft skims the inner edge of the main asteroid belt. After the encounter, Lucy will head back towards Earth for its second gravity assist in December 2024. That assist will send the spacecraft to explore the Jupiter Trojan asteroids. Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Produced, Edited, and Narrated by: David Ladd (AIMM) Animations by: Walt Feimer (KBRWyle) and Jonathan North (KBRWyle) Visualizations by: Kel Elkins (USRA) Music provided by Universal Production Music: "Pioneer" - Lorenzo Castellarin This video can be freely shared and downloaded at . While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. Specific details on such imagery may be found here: . For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit . Follow NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center · Instagram · Twitter- NASA GODDARD · Twitter-NASA GODDARD PICS · Facebook: · Flickr
An animation of Dinkinesh and its newly discovered moonlet as seen from Lucy’s tracking camera. NASA/SwRI
Asteroid Dinkinesh and its satellite companions, the "kissing moons". These appear to be a contact binary. Courtesy NASA/JPL/SW
This diagram illustrates Lucy’s orbital path. The spacecraft’s path (green) is shown in a frame of reference where Jupiter remains stationary, giving the trajectory its pretzel-like shape. It’ll perform two Earth flybys before visiting the asteroids. Image Credit: By NASA – NASA Public Domain, (Wkipedia) But now NASA has added another asteroid to Lucy’s busy itinerary. It won’t need to alter its course to visit this one. Instead, it presents itself as a target of opportunity in the main asteroid belt.
As the NASA Lucy spacecraft travels through the inner edge of the main asteroid belt in the Fall of 2023, the spacecraft will fly by the small, as-of-yet unnamed asteroid (152830) 1999 VD57. This graphic shows a top-down view of the Solar System, indicating the spacecraft’s trajectory shortly before the November 1, 2023 encounter. Image Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
This image shows Lucy’s mission in more detail. It lists and locates all the asteroid encounters except for the most recent addition. Image Credit: NASA/Levison et al. 2021.
NASA's Lucy mission, on its journey to explore the Jupiter Trojans, two clusters of primitive asteroids orbiting Jupiter, is set to gain momentum with the help of Earth's gravity. Launched on October 16, 2021, Lucy is returning home for its first of three Earth gravity assists after a year in orbit around the Sun. On October 16, 2022, Lucy will swing by Earth like a dance partner, using the planet's gravitational pull to increase its speed and elongate its orbit around the Sun. The close encounter will bring Lucy just 219 miles above the Earth, even lower than the International Space Station. This remarkable flyby will accelerate the spacecraft's velocity by four-and-a-half miles per second, positioning it for another speed boost during its second gravity assist scheduled for December 2024. Lucy's mission aims to uncover valuable insights into the formation of planets by studying the Jupiter Trojans, making these Earth flybys crucial for the spacecraft's successful journey through space.
The Earth and Moon (faint, to the left) as seen by Lucy during the first Earth flyby. Credit: NASA/SwRI
The Lucy plaque affixed to the spacecraft. Credit: NASA