🔬 Science July 08, 2026 at 09:21 PM

New Images Reveal That This Asteroid Is Actually Two Conjoined Space Rocks That Form a Peanut-Shaped Object Called a 'Contact Binary'

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 revealed an asteroid is a 'contact binary' with a unique peanut shape. The data gathered will also aid in defending Earth from potential space rock threats.

asteroid Hayabusa2 spacecraft discovery planetary defense science