Hayabusa2 Succeeds in Close-Approach Imaging of Asteroid "Trifune"

Explanation

At 6:30 p.m. Japan time on July 5, 2026, the asteroid explorer Hayabusa2 successfully performed a flyby of the asteroid "Trifune." In addition to ordinary photographs taken by the Optical Navigation Camera (ONC-T), thermal images captured by the Thermal Infrared Camera (TIR) from about 10 km away were also released. Observations continued right up until closest approach, and data was also obtained from instruments such as the near-infrared spectrometer and the altimeter (LIDAR). Much of the data has not yet reached the ground, and future analysis is expected to gradually reveal the surface properties and formation of Trifune, providing clues to how the solar system was formed.