Lucy's Celestial Dance: Earth Swing for Jupiter's Secrets

Join us on a cosmic journey with NASA's Lucy mission, a quest to unravel the mysteries of the Jupiter Trojans—swarms of primitive asteroids orbiting Jupiter that hold the keys to planetary formation. Launched on October 16, 2021, Lucy returns to Earth on its launch anniversary for a celestial dance.

On October 16, 2022, Lucy will embrace our planet like a graceful partner in a swing dance, utilizing Earth's gravity to boost its velocity and elongate its orbit around the Sun. At 7:04 am Eastern Time, Lucy will make an astonishingly close approach, passing just 219 miles above Earth—lower than the International Space Station.

This close encounter will propel Lucy at a breathtaking speed, setting the stage for its second Earth gravity assist in December 2024. Dive into the details of this incredible cosmic ballet and the scientific insights it promises to unveil.

Explore the full story: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/lucy-ega