Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2026 July 14
    [2]A large rocky object floats in dark space. The object is gray and
       has many small protrusions. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                       Double Lobed Asteroid Torifune
      Image Credit & Copyright: [3]JAXA, [4]U. of Tokyo, [5]Chiba Tech,
           [6]Tokyo U. of Science, [7]AIST, [8]Paris Obs., [9]IAC

   Explanation: Why is this asteroid a double? Earlier this month the
   [10]Japanese robotic spacecraft [11]Hayabusa2 shot past asteroid
   [12]98943 Torifune and captured [13]pictures. Although previous
   observations from [14]distant Earth indicated that Torifune was oblong,
   [15]Hayabusa2 found that [16]Torifune actually has two joined lobes.
   With a length of about four [17]soccer fields, this [18]space rock
   frequently comes near the [19]Earth as it orbits the [20]Sun, although
   it is not a threat. Besides the two lobes, [21]Torifune shows [22]many
   large boulders, but, surprisingly, [23]no obvious craters, likely
   because its surface is a [24]pile of rubble. Like asteroid
   [25]Arrokoth, it appears that each lobe formed separately before
   colliding and becoming [26]stuck together. [27]Hayabusa2 famously
   encountered [28]asteroid Ryugu in 2018, and now heads for an encounter
   in 2031 with [29]1998 KY26, a smaller asteroid that rotates unusually
   fast and might have reservoirs of ice.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [41]Robert Nemiroff ([42]MTU) & [43]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([44]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [45]Specific rights apply.
            [46]NASA Web Privacy, [47]Accessibility, [48]Notices;
                A service of: [49]ASD at [50]NASA / [51]GSFC,
                         [52]NASA Science Activation
                           & [53]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2607/Torifune_JAXA_1400.jpg
   3. http://global.jaxa.jp/about/index.html
   4. https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/
   5. https://chibatech.jp/english/
   6. https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/
   7. https://www.aist.go.jp/index_en.html
   8. https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/
   9. https://www.iac.es/en/about-us
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
  11. https://www.isas.jaxa.jp/en/missions/spacecraft/current/hayabusa2.html
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/98943_Torifune
  13. https://www.jaxa.jp/press/2026/07/20260706-3_j.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260613.html
  15. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hayabusa-2/
  16. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/science/torifune-asteroid-contact-binary.html
  17. https://turftank.com/us/academy/how-big-is-a-soccer-field/
  18. https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/asteroids/#/home
  19. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
  20. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
  21. https://www.planetary.org/articles/hayabusa2s-flyby-of-asteroid-torifune
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190524.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140209.html
  24. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubble_pile
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190129.html
  26. https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https://i.redd.it/xafpjwqoz9jz.jpg
  27. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayabusa2
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180822.html
  29. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_KY26
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260713.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  36. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  39. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260714
  40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260715.html
  41. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  42. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/
  43. https://inspirehep.net/authors/1073087
  44. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  45. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  46. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  48. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  49. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/astrophysics/
  50. https://www.nasa.gov/
  51. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  52. https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/
  53. http://www.mtu.edu/