NASA recently released a surprise photo of an asteroid they have dubbed “The Faceless Cucumber.” The asteroid, which looks like a giant, elongated cucumber, measures 7.8 kilometers long, making it one of the longest asteroids ever discovered.
The asteroid was first spotted by the Juno spacecraft, which orbits Jupiter, but was recently confirmed by NASA’s Spitzer spacecraft. This discovery is particularly exciting for the astronomical community, who have never seen an asteroid this size and shape before.
So why does this asteroid look so weird? According to scientists, it is probably because of how it formed. Astronomers believe that an impact split the parent body of two asteroids into several pieces, creating the “Faceless Cucumber”. It is also possible that the asteroid was bombarded with small rocks and dust, which gave it its elongated shape.
The asteroid is composed primarily of volcanic rock and metal, as well as a few other minerals. It is also possible that the asteroid may have once been part of a larger body of rock.
What makes this discovery even more remarkable is its location. The asteroid orbits Jupiter, which means it is likely to remain relatively untouched by the gravitational pull of other planets in the solar system. This means that the asteroid is likely to remain its unusual shape for many years to come.
The Faceless Cucumber is sure to provide scientists and astronomers with plenty of interesting data in the years to come. This bizarre-looking asteroid is likely to become a source of fascination, as we learn more and more about our universe.
