The image gave an up close picture of the asteroid, but many people were left focussing on another eerie part of it
An up close photo of an asteroid has many people saying the same thing – and it’s not good either.
The asteroid in question is called Ryugu and the picture provides a fascinating and clear picture of how they look up close.
Unsurprisingly, it’s all very barren, bare and rocky, so it’s absolutely fascinating if you’re a geologist.
But while it’s undeniably amazing to have such a clear picture of an asteroid, many people were left a bit unnerved by one particular aspect of the incredible picture.
The picture has been touted as one of the ‘clearest ever taken’ of an asteroid, which are rocky objects floating through space.
Ryugu is a very important asteroid, as well as being in a position which makes it potentially dangerous to Earth.
An explanation from NASA said: “Asteroid Ryugu, a near-Earth and potentially hazardous asteroid, is classified as a Cb-type asteroid, which has a dark surface and a diameter of ~1 kilometer. It is considered to be made of water-rich and carbonaceous materials, important key elements that are relevant to life on Earth.
“The study of Ryugu and the returned carbonaceous samples will provide important information about the origin and evolution of the solar system, in particular, the inner planets.”
But although it’s fascinating to see such an asteroid so clearly, there was one thing which left many people very unsettled.
An asteroid is a rocky object – thought to consist of clay, silicate rocks, and nickel-iron. (Getty Stock Image)
This was just how dark space actually is.
You may have seen videos of the open ocean at night, with such an absence of light, and the knowledge of thousands of metres of water beneath you.
But space is somehow even more dark and terrifying than that.
Many people were left feeling uneasy about the inky blackness surrounding the asteroid and shared their thoughts on social media.
Clearest image ever taken of asteroid Ryugu. The pitch black background is scary… pic.twitter.com/kRfmPdllOT
— Curiosity (@MAstronomers) May 2, 2024
One person wrote: “The black is more interesting than the rocks… It’s just eternal endless darkness,” while another said: “So weird that when you look up at night, you see all the stars, but Astronauts say its pitch black when they are in space. I dont get it.”
And a third added: “Space is cold, dark, empty. This pic is wonderful, though.”
It wouldn’t be space without a solid helping of existential dread to go along with it.
Despite the incredible isolation and all-encompassing darkness, some astronauts who’ve been as far as humans have ever gone did not feel lonely.
One such astronaut is Michael Collins, who piloted the command module on Apollo 11.
For 48 minutes. Collins became the most isolated human being in the universe when he passed around to the dark side of the Moon.
Despite this, he said he felt ‘awareness, anticipation, satisfaction, confidence, almost exultation’.
Featured Image Credit: NASA JAXA / X/@MAstronomers
