Astronomy Picture of the Day

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                                2018 August 22
                                      [2]
                        Asteroid Ryugu from Hayabusa2
                Image Credit & Copyright: ISAS [3] , JAXA [4] ,

Explanation: This big space diamond has an estimated value [5]  of over 80
billion dollars. It's only diamond in shape, though -- asteroid 162173 Ryugu
[6] is thought to be composed of mostly nickel [7]  and iron [8] . Asteroids
like Ryugu [9]  are interesting for several reasons, perhaps foremost because
they are near the Earth and might, one day in the far future, pose an impact
threat [10] . In the nearer term, Ryugu [11]  is interesting because it may be
possible to send future spacecraft there to mine it [12] , thus providing
humanity with a new source [13] of valuable metals. Scientifically, Ryugu [14]
 is interesting because it carries information about how our Solar System
formed billions of years ago, and why its orbit takes it so close [15]  to
Earth. Japan [16] 's robotic spacecraft Hayabusa2 [17] just arrived [18] at
this one-kilometer wide asteroid in late June. The featured image [19]  shows
surface structures unknown before spacecraft Hayabusa2's arrival, including
rock fields and craters. Within the next three months, Hayabusa2 is scheduled
[20]  to unleash several probes, some that will land on Ryugu and hop around,
while Hayabusa2 itself will mine just a little bit of the asteroid [21]  for
return to Earth [22] .

                        Tomorrow's picture: soul comet

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    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [34] (MTU [35] ) & Jerry Bonnell [36]
                                  (UMCP [37] )
          NASA Official:  Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [38] .
              NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [39]
              A service of: ASD [40]  at NASA [41]  / GSFC [42]
                           & Michigan Tech. U. [43]
----------
Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1808/Ryugu_Hayabusa2_1024.jpg
  [3] http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/
  [4] http://global.jaxa.jp/about/index.html
  [5] http://www.asterank.com/
  [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/162173_Ryugu
  [7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel
  [8] https://periodic.lanl.gov/26.shtml
  [9] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/hayabus...
  [10]
https://sservi.nasa.gov/articles/neoshield-pr...
  [11]
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/ne...
  [12]
http://theconversation.com/
mining-asteroids-could-unlock-untold-wealth-heres-how-to-get-started-95675
  [13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_mining
  [14] http://www.planetary.org/multimedia/space-ima...
  [15] https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/intro.html
  [16] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
  [17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayabusa2
  [18] ap180625.html
  [19] http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180725j...
  [20]
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawal...
0525-keep-up-with-hayabusa2.html
  [21] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/small-bodies/ast...
  [22] ap090705.html
  [23] ap180821.html
  [24] archivepix.html
  [25] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [26] lib/aptree.html
  [27] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apo...
  [28] calendar/allyears.html
  [29] /apod.rss
  [30] lib/edlinks.html
  [31] lib/about_apod.html
  [32] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?dat...
  [33] ap180823.html
  [34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [35] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [36] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnel...
  [37] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [38] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [39] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Priv...
  [40] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [41] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [42] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  [43] http://www.mtu.edu/

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