Asteroid Dimorphos’ Shape Altered After NASA’s DART Mission Impact
In a groundbreaking study led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), new revelations have surfaced regarding the impact of NASA’s DART mission on the asteroid Dimorphos. The DART mission successfully captured the asteroid just two seconds before impact on September 26, 2022, demonstrating for the first time that a kinetic impactor could indeed deflect a hazardous asteroid potentially on a collision course with Earth.
The study, utilizing data from images captured by DART, radar observations from the Goldstone Solar System Radar, and ground telescopes measuring the asteroids’ light curves, revealed that Dimorphos’ shape has changed and its orbit has shrunk after the impact. Now classified as a “rubble pile” object, Dimorphos has an orbital period that is 33 minutes and 15 seconds shorter than before the impact, with its shape changing to an elongated “triaxial ellipsoid.”
Moreover, the study’s models illustrated how Dimorphos’ orbit evolved and its orbital period continued to shorten after impact as it lost rocky material to space. These findings provide a new understanding of asteroids’ behavior and align with previous studies on asteroid dynamics.
Looking ahead, ESA’s Hera mission is scheduled to launch in October 2024 with the objective of conducting a detailed survey of the asteroid pair to confirm how DART reshaped Dimorphos. The collaboration between NASA’s DART mission and ESA’s Hera mission is set to shed further light on the impact and implications of asteroid deflection technologies, bringing us one step closer to ensuring the safety of our planet from potential asteroid threats.
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