<ul><li>New modeling suggests that the asteroid Donaldjohanson, which will be encountered by NASA's Lucy spacecraft, may have been formed about 150 million years ago when a larger parent asteroid broke apart.</li><li>Donaldjohanson appears to be a peculiar object, quite elongated and a slow rotator, possibly due to thermal torques that have slowed its spin over time.</li><li>The data collected during the flyby of Donaldjohanson could provide insights on the asteroid's shape, surface geology, and cratering history, and help explain its peculiarities.</li><li>The asteroid Donaldjohanson is a member of the Erigone collisional asteroid family and is expected to have distinct characteristics compared to the previously visited asteroids Ryugu and Bennu.</li></ul>

New Modeling Assesses Age of Next Target Asteroid for NASA’s Lucy

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