Image : JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, University of Aizu, AIST

The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 has made some of its closest approaches to asteroid Ryugu yet, returning breathtaking images. Here you can see the an image of the asteroid from just six kilometers (3.72 miles) away. One pixel in the image is around 60 centimeters (1.9 feet).


Here’s the full image:

Image : JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, University of Aizu, AIST


Hayabusa2 will eventually try to sample the asteroid’s surface. This is not an easy feat. Asteroids have weak, complex gravitational fields, as well as dusty and rocky surfaces. All this makes landing without bouncing off a formidable challenge. Here, you can see a large crater towards the center of the image, and lots of large rocks.

Hayabusa2 began orbiting Ryugu at around 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) above its surface, and scientists eventually moved it to its current location last week. Six kilometers is very, very close. Let’s try to visualize it: When you’re in a plane at cruising altitude, you’re around 10.7 kilometers from the ground. When I went to Mexico to film this video, the mountain in this picture was around six kilometers away:

Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in Mexico. Photo : Ryan F. Mandelbaum

So, just replace the mountain in that picture with the asteroid, and you’ll get a sense of just how close Hayabusa2 really is to Rygugu:


Anyway, the scientists behind Hayabusa2 are still scoping out where to land in order to snag a sample of Ryugu that the spacecraft can then bring back to Earth. But they’re moving carefully—it will likely still be several months before any landing is attempted.

Update, August 23: A lot of people still look at this post, so it’s worth mentioning that in the mountain image, I was really close to that mountain, and you’re only looking at the top 1000 meters or so, maybe less. Ryugu is very small, only 3000 meters in diameter, which is about the size of 6.5 Empire State Buildings.


[via JAXA]