NASA’s Lucy spacecraft unlocks asteroid Dinkinesh’s dynamic historyBy Will DunhamWASHINGTON (Reuters) – A little asteroid called Dinkinesh – visited last November by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft – has a surprisingly dynamic history, according to scientists, along with its moonlet Selam that is comprised of two bodies that gently melded into one. On the way, Lucy flew past Dinkinesh and Selam in the inner edge of the main asteroid belt. “During their lifetime, small asteroids may shed material, which later ends up forming a small satellite or satellites. Dinkinesh is the Ethiopian name for the Lucy fossil, meaning “you are marvelous” in the Amharic language. Lucy will next visit the asteroid Donaldjohanson in 2025 in the main asteroid belt, with 11 asteroids in total on its agenda.
