Japanese probe approaches weird-looking asteroid

originally posted by: wildespace
First true-colour image of Ryugu (next to Earth for comparison in albedo)

Source: www.spaceflightfans.cn...

I used the colour image together with high-rez b&w image to get this:

(Saturation was slightly increased)

And with levels adjusted to reflect its low albedo. It's like a slightly reddish piece of coal.

You have done an amazing job of adding content to this thread, thank you.

With the looks of the surface texture and albedo it appears more like comet 67P than asteroids that have been imaged in the past. That crater looks quite different than I imagined it would from those first fuzzy pictures.

originally posted by: Devino
With the looks of the surface texture and albedo it appears more like comet 67P than asteroids that have been imaged in the past.

Most asteroids are dark like this one, due to being rich in carbon. en.wikipedia.org...

C-type (carbonaceous) asteroids are the most common variety, forming around 75% of known asteroids. [...] C-type asteroids are extremely dark, with albedos typically in the 0.03 to 0.10 range.

It's an intergalactic Garnet!

New images!

From the "home position" at 20 km away from asteroid Ryugu, Hayabusa2 has been confirming instrument operations in preparation for future observations. The images below show the results of part of this rehearsal observation.

www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp...

There's even a stereo animation for red-green glasses:



www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp...

Oh, I see what it is. It's two asteroids that have "mooshed" together at the vertical seam.

originally posted by: Blue Shift
Oh, I see what it is. It's two asteroids that have "mooshed" together at the vertical seam.

Could be, could be something else.

Surprisingly, quite a few asteroids have a similar shape:

I think it's a marshmellow.

Scientists at Kobe University created this 3D model of Ryugu:



I'm now hoping that someone will stretch the textures from imagery over this model and give us some flyover videos.

Cool thing about data from space missions like this one, is that members of the public can use it to create cool visualisations or animations.

Here's a rotating 3D model of Ryugu with textures from the images, simulating half-phase view: www.unmannedspaceflight.com...
(I had to compress the gif; the one in the link is better quality)



Created by Roman Tkachenko.

NEW: Hayabusa2 has descended to less than 6km from the asteroid's surface, giving us this closeup view:



Full-scale image: www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp...

The resolution is approx 60 cm/pixel.

Hayabusa2 arrived at asteroid Ryugu on June 27, after which the spacecraft remained at a distance of about 20km (the Home Position) to continue to observe the asteroid. During this time, the spacecraft was maintaining a hovering altitude of 20km above the asteroid surface. In the week of July 16, operations were begun to lower this hovering altitude, eventually bringing the spacecraft to less than 6km from the asteroid surface.

www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp...

Wow, what an image!

Today, one of Hayabusa2's landers has separated, and is ready to descend to the surface.

The lander, dubbed MINERVA-II1, separated when the spacecraft hovered at about 60 meters above the surface.

Here's a couple of pics taken just before separation. You can see the spacecraft's shadow cast on the asteroid:





The spacecraft then started raising its altitude again.

Real-time gallery from the lander deployment stage: www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp...

JAXA have released this hauntingly beautiful Image from Rover-1B as it makes its way to Ryugu's surface.

twitter.com...
How's that for a holiday snap.

a reply to: gortex
Wow, at first I thought it was CGI / artist's impression, but it is a real photo.

a reply to: wildespace

Cool...I was wondering if we can have true images

Are the two craft within sight of each other? Would be great to have them photograph each other!

Another update;
They Made It! Japan's Two Hopping Rovers Successfully Land on Asteroid Ryugu

This spectacular photo shows the view from asteroid Ryugu from the Minerva-II1A rover during a hop after it successfully landed on Sept. 21, 2018. The probe is one of two that landed on Ryugu from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft. It's the first time two mobile rovers landed on an asteroid.

Good job Japan!!!



You guys can be very proud of a successful and fascinating scientific achievement!

Well Done!



thanks to all the posters.

Common sense tells you that their is life living in space even if its not like we imagine it.

Is this a retrieval operation as well? Will they get samples, and return them to Hayabusa2 for analysis, or better yet, will they be able to somehow get samples back to Earth?

originally posted by: charlyv
Is this a retrieval operation as well? Will they get samples, and return them to Hayabusa2 for analysis, or better yet, will they be able to somehow get samples back to Earth?

Yes. If all goes as planned, a sample should be returned to Earth in late 2020:

Also in 2019, the mother ship will send a (nonexplosive) impactor barreling toward Ryugu. The orbiter will then cruise down to the newly created crater and collect a sample of pristine, previously subsurface material, which will come down to Earth in a special return capsule in December 2020, if all goes according to plan.

They've still got a couple more rovers to release and some other experiments to perform. It's fascinating to see a piece of robotic equipment performing complex navigation and simultaneously conducting important science research from a distance of 193 million miles away.

-dex