On this day in space! Aug. 28, 1993: Galileo spacecraft flies by asteroid Ida on the way to Jupiter only to find a tiny moon!

During its trajectory toward Jupiter, the Galileo spacecraft executed a flyby of the asteroid Ida on August 28, 1993. This unexpected encounter occurred as part of the mission’s planned observations and data collection activities. While en route, the probe detected the presence of a small, previously unknown moon orbiting Ida. Scientists were surprised by this discovery, which added another layer of complexity to their understanding of asteroids. The event highlighted the potential for unforeseen findings during deep-space missions like Galileo’s exploration of the Jovian system.