NASA’s spacecraft Lucy will return to Earth on Sunday (Oct. 16) as a part of its 12-year-mission to go to a report variety of asteroids, and the occasion will probably be obtainable to stream reside on-line.Â
The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0 will livestream observations of Lucy from Italy starting at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT). Astronomy followers can entry the stream free of charge right here.
“Each time one thing fascinating occurs up there, the Digital Telescope Mission does its finest to carry to the world the chance to take a look, in real-time. We’re significantly joyful to share this time the Lucy fly-by,” Italian astrophysicist and founding father of the challenge, Gianluca Masi, informed House.com. “Will probably be attainable for our viewers to identify one thing made by people on its journey of discovery. This spacecraft will assist us perceive the origin of our solar system by visiting asteroids.”
Associated: Meet the 8 asteroids NASA’s Lucy spacecraft will visit
Lucy is popping again house for a gravity help that can slingshot it into a brand new orbit in preparation for trekking out towards the never-before-visited Jupiter Trojan asteroids. The return go to coincides with the one-year anniversary of Lucy’s launch on Oct. 16, 2021.Â
Lucy has approached Earth from the course of the sun, the place it can’t be seen. However on Sunday at 6:55 a.m. EDT (1055 GMT), the spacecraft will cross Earth’s terminator line, which separates night time and day. However Lucy will stay illuminated by the sun till 7:02 a.m. EDT (1102 GMT), briefly seen with the bare eye from North Western Australia, Timor-Leste and elements of Indonesia.Â
Following its closest strategy at 7:04 a.m. EDT (1104 GMT), Lucy will transfer into Earth‘s shadow and disappear, then emerge at 7:26 a.m. EDT (1126 GMT). From this level, Lucy will stay seen for between 12 and 24 hours with a telescope, however this may require clear viewing circumstances and exact coordinates, which can be found on NASA’s Horizon System app.
It’s at this stage of Lucy’s go to to Earth that the Virtual Telescope Project 2.0 will broadcast its view, allowing skywatchers not situated in a good areas, missing tools or just not eager to courageous the chilly October climate to look at Lucy cross the Earth. Â
“For me, Lucy whereas it makes a superb use of Earth utilizing its gravitational help to succeed in its vacation spot is especially thrilling,” Masi stated. “I am at all times amazed to see and inform others about our potential to navigate throughout outer space. It is a possibility to know how a lot we now have discovered to discover the cosmos, ranging from our neighborhood.”
Lucy will return to Earth once more in two years to get a second gravity help to push in direction of the six Trojan asteroids Leucus, Orus, Eurybates its satellite Queta, and Polymele its but unnamed satellite associate.
In 2030, Lucy will come again for a 3rd gravity help from Earth, which can ship it hurtling towards an encounter with the Patroclus-Menoetius binary asteroid pair.
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