(Image credit score: NASA Goddard/YouTube)
The solar system is populated with asteroids as completely different as our planets. The essential asteroid belt, positioned between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, is dwelling to many various kinds of space rocks. But a brand new mission known as Lucy will quickly launch to review a gaggle of asteroids that has but to be studied up shut: the Trojans.
The Trojans aren’t fairly just like the rocks discovered within the asteroid belt. They are all remnants from the formation of the solar system. But whereas the asteroid belt rocks have a wide range of reflectiveness, or albedo, the Trojans are usually principally non-reflective rocks. Trojans additionally differ in that they orbit farther away from the sun, close to Jupiter’s orbit.
NASA’s Lucy mission is scheduled to launch on Oct. 16, 2021, to review these distinctive space rocks. The mission might be powered by solar panels and is supplied with 4 devices that may observe the temperature, albedo and floor options of the asteroids it’ll go to. Lucy is scheduled to go to eight asteroids: one essential belt rock and 7 Trojans. Learn extra about every of those targets on this countdown!
