NASA’s asteroid-hunting spacecraft will orbit Earth tonight. Watch it live

The asteroid-hunting spacecraft Lucy will send its second gravitational assist to Earth today, swinging past our pale blue dot on its way to a group of asteroids known as the Trojans.

Lucy is a spaceship on 12 year journey in Distant solar systemwhere A. will be investigated Asteroid group To better understand the origins of exoplanets and the birth of the solar system. But Lucy needs a little nudge to get there, and her next flyby is scheduled for tonight around 11:15 p.m. ET, according to NASA. statement.

It’s a common assumption that once a mission is released, it disappears, never to be seen around these parts again. This is often not true, as spacecraft do not carry much fuel and often take advantage of the gravity of solar system bodies to accelerate their travel to (relatively) distant parts of the universe. Lucy will do just that tonight, orbiting Earth to gain the speed she needs on her journey to explore the Trojan asteroids.

As Lucy passes above Earth tonight, it will be traveling at more than 33,000 mph (53,100 km/h). Lucy will spend about 20 minutes traveling through Earth’s shadow and may become visible once she appears on the other side.

At its closest approach tonight, Lucy may be visible to observers using a telescope in western Africa or eastern South America. It will be difficult for observers in the eastern United States to see the probe because we will be on the dark side of Lucy’s solar panels, while those on the other side of the spacecraft will benefit from the light shining on the surfaces. It also hosts Virtual Telescope Project 2.0 Live feed (Available above) of the Lucy probe as it swings around our universe.

Earlier this week, the European Space Agency’s BepiColombo spacecraft flew by Mercury Fifth timeThe agency plans to have the spacecraft reach the planet’s orbit in November 2026. This November, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe made its final trip around Venus, using our next-door neighbor’s gravity to hurl itself to the surface of our star. Parker Closest approach Sunrise is scheduled to occur on Christmas Eve.

This is actually the second gravitational support that Lucy provides to Earth; This happened for the first time in October 2022 and enabled the spacecraft to swing closer to the ocean Minor asteroid Dinkenish. The upcoming gravity assist will place Lucy in a six-year orbit that will send the spacecraft through the asteroid belt to the Trojan asteroids, with its first encounter expected to be in 2027. The gravity assist will increase Lucy’s speed with respect to the Sun by more than 16,000 miles per hour ( 25,750 kilometers per hour).

Lucy’s next stop will be the main belt of asteroid Donald Johansson, which the spacecraft will pass on April 20, 2025. After that, it will reach infinity – the asteroid belt – and beyond.