NASA's radar images reveal that asteroid 2024 ON, which resembles a peanut, is actually a contact binary—two lobes connected by a distinct neck.
Contact binaries like 2024 ON are more common than previously thought, with at least 14 percent of asteroids over 660 feet falling into this category.
The asteroid's close approach wasn't alarming, as it passed about 621,000 miles away, approximately 2.6 times the distance to the Moon.
NASA's exploration of 2024 ON sheds light on its unique structure, with the larger lobe being 50 percent bigger than its counterpart.
Collection
[
|
...
]