Asteroid defense mission shifted the orbit of more than its target
7 hours ago
- #Planetary Defense
- #NASA
- #Asteroid
- NASA's DART spacecraft successfully impacted the binary asteroid system on September 26, 2022.
- The impact altered Dimorphos' orbit around Didymos by 33 minutes.
- Long-term observations show DART also changed the trajectory of the entire Didymos binary system around the Sun.
- Stellar occultation was key in measuring the asteroid system's tiny orbital shift post-impact.
- A global team led by Rahil Makadia analyzed data to confirm DART's effects on the asteroid system.