Posted on 10/20/2021 4:07:20 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: Why would this mission go out as far as Jupiter -- but then not visit Jupiter? Lucy's plan is to follow different leads about the origin of our Solar System than can be found at Jupiter -- where Juno now orbits. Jupiter is such a massive planet that its gravity captures numerous asteroids that orbit the Sun ahead of it -- and behind. These trojan asteroids formed all over our Solar System and some may have been trapped there for billions of years. Flying by these trojan asteroids enables studying them as fossils that likely hold unique clues about our early Solar System. Lucy, named after a famous fossil skeleton which was named after a famous song, is scheduled to visit eight asteroids from 2025 to 2033. Pictured, Lucy's launch was captured with reflection last week aboard a powerful Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
I think I see a football 🏈 ...
Sweet!
Incredible shot.
That is one of the coolest rocket launch photos ever!
I’m always amazed that these launches look like they go up and then back down (because they are so far down-range).
It’s hard to fathom that the rocket is going into orbit. Even after watching these for 60 years, I still kind of expect them to go straight up toward the sky, not bend over and fly horizontal.
Nice! I would love to see one of these launches one day.
what a crock... all 8 tails are EXACTLY the same length... just different brightness and tints.
I would be impressed if I was in elementary school...
I take it back... i realized they are not meteors but stars with an extended aperture open
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