Nasa has received “puzzling” data from a spacecraft that was studying a distant asteroid. The space agency’s Lucy Spacecraft left Earth in 2021, with the aim of studying “Jupiter trojans”, a set of asteroids that fly around the Sun along Jupiter’s orbit and remain largely mysterious. Recently, scientists decided to send it to visit another small object on its way, largely as a test of the systems on the spacecraft that let it track asteroids for its mission. When Lucy arrived at that object – a main belt asteroid named Dinkinesh – it found a surprise, however. Images taken of the asteroid showed that it had a satellite, which flies around the asteroid like a tiny moon of its own. Now, further examination of those images show that the satellite is not one but two objects. Those objects make up a “contact binary”, or two smaller objects that are touching each other as they fly through space. The unexpected discovery explains some of the strange data that scientists had received as they approached Lucy. But it opens up more confusion about the whole system, which one called “bizarre”. “Contact binaries seem to be fairly common in the solar system,” said John Spencer, Lucy deputy project scientist, in a statement. “We haven’t seen many up-close, and we’ve never seen one orbiting another asteroid. “We’d been puzzling over odd variations in Dinkinesh’s brightness that we saw on approach, which gave us a hint that Dinkinesh might have a moon of some sort, but we never suspected anything so bizarre!” The flyby of Dinkinesh was only intended as a test of the spacecraft’s systems but has now posed new possible research for scientists. “It’s truly marvelous when nature surprises us with a new puzzle,” said Tom Statler, Lucy program scientist from NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Great science pushes us to ask questions that we never knew we needed to ask.” “It is puzzling, to say the least,” said Hal Levison, principal investigator for Lucy, also from Southwest Research Institute. “I would have never expected a system that looks like this. In particular, I don’t understand why the two components of the satellite have similar sizes. This is going to be fun for the scientific community to figure out.” The scientists were only able to confirm the nature of the system with the multiple images that were sent back by Lucy in the wake of its encounter with Dinkinesh. Nasa is working now to get the rest of the data from the spacecraft, which might include yet more surprises. Lucy itself will continue flying through space on a journey that is due to take 12 years. Lucy is actually heading back to Earth, which it will use for a gravity assist to propel it onto the next part of its journey, back through the main asteroid belt and onto the Trojan asteroids. Read More Nasa sending VR headset up to ISS to treat astronaut’s mental health All-UK space mission will ‘push boundaries of human knowledge’ All-female Nasa astronaut team departs International Space Station on spacewalk

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Gareth Southgate backed Raheem Sterling to recover from his nightmare season – after leaving him out of his latest England squad. The Chelsea forward will miss the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia next month. Southgate spoke with Sterling last week with the 28-year-old battling a hamstring problem and admitting he had not hit top form. But, despite his omission, Southgate expects one of his star players to rediscover his spark. “I will always back him to respond strongly and have the resilience and tenacity to prove himself,” he said. “He said himself he’s not been happy with how it’s been but that will be a temporary thing. “He really wasn’t in consideration. We didn’t get to the point of whether he should be in or out. He doesn’t think he’s operating on the level he needs. “He’s an important part of our group and that remains the same. But he is in an area of the pitch where players are playing well for their clubs and playing well when they are playing for us. “The dynamic is different from maybe two-to-three years ago. We had four or five players who were almost guaranteed to be in the team. Now we’ve got competition pretty much everywhere. “But he has shown time and again for us that he has been an important player. His mental toughness stands out in why I would expect him to come up at a good level.” Sterling has struggled for form and fitness since a £47.5million move from Manchester City last summer. He has scored nine goals in 37 appearances in Chelsea’s chaotic season which has seen them sack Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter with Frank Lampard in interim charge since April. He has shown time and again for us that he has been an important player. His mental toughness stands out in why I would expect him to come up at a good level Gareth Southgate on Raheem Sterling They travel to Manchester United on Thursday and host Newcastle in Sunday’s final game of the season. Chelsea will finish in the bottom half of the Premier League despite owner Todd Boehly spending almost £600million. “I found him (Sterling) positive, strong and understanding with what’s gone on. It’s been difficult for everyone with all the changes this year. Three different managers, three different ways of training, three different ways of playing,” said Southgate. “There was a lot of upheaval. Clubs have these moments. There have been a couple of clubs who haven’t been where they want to be this year. “That will be even more intense next year. They won’t have any European football so will have a game a week. I think they’ll be really strong next season and certainly he’ll be a big part of it. “I can’t see a scenario where Chelsea aren’t in the top six next year. It has been really difficult for all the managers this year but that will calm down over the summer and they have an outstanding squad. They are going to have a good season and he’ll be fundamental to that.” Meanwhile, Southgate remains hopeful Jude Bellingham will be fit for the game in Malta on June 16 and against North Macedonia in Manchester on June 19. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder missed Sunday’s 3-0 victory at Augsburg with a knee problem he suffered in the 5-2 win over Borussia Monchengladbach and is a doubt for Saturday’s final game against Mainz. Dortmund are two points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga, hunting their first title since 2012. Southgate added: “He will be doing everything he can to be available for this weekend. Whether he will win that race we don’t know yet but I would have thought there is enough time for our games but we don’t know for sure.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Frank Lampard not surprised contract talks with Mason Mount are taking time Craig Overton stars as Somerset begin Blast by thrashing Hampshire Cameron Norrie starts Lyon Open title defence with win over David Goffin

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