For the first time in history, mankind has succeeded in altering the orbit of a celestial body.
NASA presented its initial findings in a briefing held today, and said that the results far exceeded expectations.
The DART mission (Double-Asteroid Redirection Test) successfully shortened the orbital period of the asteroid Dimorphos, by an extraordinary 32 minutes, when they were hoping for at least 73 seconds! New images from Hubble also reveal a beautifully-structured tail of debris that is within range of large amateur telescopes, reported Space Weather.
It also said that “in another surprise, NASA announced that recoil of ejecta from the asteroid’s surface contributed significantly to the asteroid’s orbit change. Previously, mission planners expected the mass of DART alone to play a role.”
The NASA press release quoted NASA Administrator Bill Nelson: “All of us have a responsibility to protect our home planet. After all, it’s the only one we have. This mission shows that NASA is trying to be ready for whatever the universe throws at us. NASA has proven we are serious as a defender of the planet. This is a watershed moment for planetary defense and all of humanity, demonstrating commitment from NASA’s exceptional team and partners from around the world.”
Neither asteroid of the binary-asteroid system poses any danger to Earth, either before or after the impact of the DART spacecraft.
The progress of the after-effects of the crash into Dimorphos will continue to be monitored by professional and amateur astronomers and observatories alike.
For the full NASA briefing: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhzn0U2m5wQ]]
