Asteroid ‘Dinkinesh’/Lucy spacecraft

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Lucy spacecraft is on an epic 6-billion-kilometre-long journey to study the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.

Discovery - It was discovered in 1999 by the LINEAR survey, and recently identified as a potential fly-by target for the Lucy mission.
Orbit - It orbits the Sun in the main belt of asteroids between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Width - It is less than 1 kilometre wide.
Composition - Dinkinesh is an S-type asteroid, i.e., it is composed mainly of silicates and some metal.
Instrument - The observations were made by Lucy’s high-resolution camera, the Lucy Long Range Reconnaissance Imager ( L’LORRI instrument ).
Dinkinesh will be the first asteroid that Lucy will visit on its 12-year-long journey.

Lucy Spacecraft

Lucy mission was launched on October, 2021.
Agency – NASA, U.S.
Aim - To observe the Jupiter Trojan asteroids (huge group of small bodies that orbit the Sun in two “swarms.”)
Lucy will first fly by Dinkinesh and another asteroid in the main belt called Donaldjohnson in 2025.
WISE - NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is supporting the flyby.
It provides updated estimates of the asteroid’s size and albedo – a measurement of surface reflectivity that could help scientists better understand the nature of some near-Earth objects.

Source:

Join Our Telegram

Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link

India-Saudi Arabia Relation

India–Azerbaijan

05 Apr, 26
SHARE

A year after tensions arising from Operation Sindoor, India and Azerbaijan have taken steps to restore and normalise bilateral relations. The 6th round of Foreign Office Consultations, held in Baku, marked the first such engagement since 2022, signaling renewed diplomatic momentum. Recent Diplomatic Engagement During the consultations, bo

India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreem

04 Apr, 26
SHARE

The India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement has completed four years since its signing. Both countries now aim to build on this progress through strengthened collaboration and ambitious targets, including reaching AUD 100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030. What is the India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Tra

ADR Report on Political Funding

03 Apr, 26
SHARE

A recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analyses donations of ?20,000 or more declared to the Election Commission of India (ECI) by national political parties for FY 2024–25, highlighting transparency and accountability in political financing. Key Findings Massive Funding Surge Total donations to nationa

Maritime Chokepoints

03 Apr, 26
SHARE

Maritime chokepoints are narrow channels along global shipping routes where maritime traffic is concentrated. These points are geopolitically and economically critical, as they handle a large proportion of global trade, especially energy shipments. Current Relevance Over two-thirds of seaborne energy trade passes through a handful o

US-Israel-Iran War

01 Apr, 26
SHARE

Following the launch of Operation Epic Fury (U.S.) and Operation Roaring Lion (Israel), the geopolitical landscape has shifted fundamentally with the confirmed death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Iran retaliated through Operation True Promise 4, launching missile attacks against Israel and nearby Gulf states. The escala