The Lucy flyby of (52246) Donaldjohanson: A bilobed asteroid with tumbling rotation

The Lucy spacecraft conducted a flyby of asteroid (52246) Donaldjohanson and obtained detailed data about its structure and motion. The asteroid has a characteristic bilobed shape, meaning it consists of two connected bodies. The research demonstrated that the asteroid undergoes complex tumbling rotational motion that is not simple. The observational data were published in the journal Science in June 2026 in volume 392, issue 6804. These findings provide new insights into the structure and dynamics of asteroids in the solar system. Lucy's flyby of this asteroid contributed to a better understanding of the formation and evolution of small bodies in space.