Posted on 06/26/2018 1:34:14 PM PDT by Simon Green
Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft is closing in on its asteroid target ahead of a planned rendezvous just a few days from now.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) released several new images that Hayabusa2 snapped recently of the asteroid Ryugu, whose shape has now become clear.
"From a distance, Ryugu initially appeared round, then gradually turned into a square before becoming a beautiful shape similar to fluorite (known as the 'firefly stone' in Japanese)," Hayabusa2 project manager Yuichi Tsuda wrote today (June 25) in a description of the newest photos, which the probe took Saturday and Sunday (June 23 and 24), from as close as 25 miles (40 kilometers). [Photos: Japan's Hayabusa2 Asteroid Mission in Pictures]
"Now, craters are visible, rocks are visible and the geographical features are seen to vary from place to place," Tsuda added. "This form of Ryugu is scientifically surprising and also poses a few engineering challenges."
Several earlier images, taken from 62 miles to 124 miles (100 to 200 km) away, reveal topography suggesting that the 3,000-foot-wide (900 meters) asteroid has probably had a complex evolutionary history, JAXA officials said. Scientists say asteroids in Ryugu's size range might be fragments of a larger parent body.
"As we approached Ryugu and were able to distinguish individual features in the asteroid's topology, it became clear that Ryugu has a land of rich terrain," mission principal investigator Seiji Sugita said in a different statement published Friday (June 21). "Numerous clusters of rock roll on the surface. Among these, a large rocky mass (about 150 meters [490 feet] across) stands out on the upper part of Ryugu due to its brighter color (higher reflectivity). The belt-shaped ring of peaks that surround the equator are also slightly brighter than their surroundings.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
Ryugu
Good name for a Sushi restaurant.
Five hours, twenty minutes. Good.
Blow your horn or flash lights to pass.
What’s her husband think of this?
[singing] Hayabusa, of rock, say what....
Pinging the former APoD list.
Thanks Simon Green.
many Japanese cars go just about that many miles, too
(gotta give em credit for what they can do so well....cars and optics and electronics and...?)
"From a distance, Ryugu initially appeared round, then gradually turned into a square before becoming a beautiful shape similar to fluorite (known as the 'firefly stone' in Japanese)," Hayabusa2 project manager Yuichi Tsuda wrote... earlier images... reveal topography suggesting that the 3,000-foot-wide (900 meters) asteroid... might be fragments of a larger parent body... mission principal investigator Seiji Sugita said in a different statement... "Numerous clusters of rock roll on the surface. Among these, a large rocky mass (about 150 meters [490 feet] across) stands out on the upper part of Ryugu due to its brighter color (higher reflectivity).
IOW, the 'roid is probably formerly two 'roids, which bumped heads and are now basically stuck together in an oblong space potato shape (not as poetic as the Japanese description, I freely admit that), with one of the bodies of different composition and showing brighter.
Thanks Simon Green.
|
Looks like a Borg ship.
Deming was very influential in Japan, yes..
I also will always recall the interview that Mr. Morita (Sony Corporation founder or presdident, leader) gave, I believe with Forbes.
He was asked several times how Japan had managed to clobber the USA market in electronics .. in just a few years...
almost complete take over of the entire market with generally quite superior quality products too, from sea to shining sea
and Morita demurred, tried to very very tactfully duck answering. But, he was pressed.
Finally, he just (again, very nicely) said.. well,
in Japan if a young man wants to make something of himself, he studies something constructive and productive like engineering or science. American kids? So many of them go to law school. ther...)
end of explanation. the next question was something completely different as i recall. ha
Oh just great!!! Not satisfied with Godzilla and Mothra now Japan is going to crack open an alien egg and unleash another horror upon us!
freeze dried space ginger?
Can’t allow too much truth on the airwaves...
Hayabusa2 approaches Asteroid Ryugu -- YouTube
It is two pyramids joined together at the bases!
They like their razors to stay really, really sharp up there.
Are the Chinese going to build a runway and claim it as sovereign territory?
What I wanna know is, does it have Hello Kitty painted on the side? Or something from an anime?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
