NASA’s Lucy mission to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids
Recommended for Middle Grades
On 16 October 2021, NASA will launch its Lucy mission. This mission aims to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids. And help us know more about the solar system’s formation 4.5 billion years ago.
What are Jupiter's Trojan asteroids?
The Jupiter trojans, commonly called Trojan asteroids or simply Trojans, are a large group of asteroids (about 9800). They share the planet Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun.
NASA has named the mission ‘Lucy’ after an ancient human fossil. This fossil, found in 1974, became very famous worldwide. And it helped us understand a lot about the evolution of the human species.
The Lucy mission
Lucy is a huge spacecraft, as tall as a five-storey building and is powered by solar energy. Moreover, it will observe more asteroids than any other spacecraft before it.
Lucy will go on a 12-year journey to study eight different asteroids. One of them is in the Main Belt between Mars and Jupiter and then seven Trojans. These asteroids exist in the same, small region of space but are very different from one another.
The Lucy mission will fly by the asteroids and use its onboard instruments to investigate them. It will try to get information on what they are made of, their mass, density and volume.
What are the other space missions? Which countries or private companies are working on space technology? What are the exciting new discoveries that scientists and astronauts are making? Or how about learning more about NASA, CNSA, ISS, ALMA etc.? Keep reading our space news for children to discover more about science and space. Keep your curiosity sky high!
Are you interested in the latest news updates? We at Curious Times are committed to providing the best experience and news to children. We are also delighted to publish the creative art, photographs, write up and more that children send us in My Expressions. Do write to us at hello@curioustimes.in. You can also reach out to us on WhatsApp, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook.
0 (Please login to give a Curious Clap to your friend.)