Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Unusually Smooth Sections of Asteroid Itokawa

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for June 30, 2026 is “Unusually Smooth Sections of Asteroid Itokawa,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: JAXA , ISAS. The original explanation runs about 172 words.

Dark space surrounds a gray peanut sized object. The object has a surface that has many rough nodules but also some relatively smooth sections. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit: JAXA , ISAS Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Why are parts of this asteroid’s surface so smooth? The answer seems likely to do with the dynamics of an asteroid that is a loose pile of rubble rather than a solid rock.”

— APOD editors, June 30, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
June 30, 2026
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: JAXA , ISAS
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 172 words

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Topics in this entry

Asteroids

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: June 30 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.