Detailed orbital calculations will help assess the effect of the asteroid smasher.
will slam into the 560-foot-wide Dimorphos in an attempt to alter its orbit around the 0.5-mile-wide Didymos. The experiment, the first ever attempt to change an orbit of an asteroid, might pave the way for a futureScientists need the detailed orbital parameters of the two space rocks not just to reliably guide DART to its target. After the impact, astronomers all over the world will measure the asteroids' orbits again, to see how the orbit of Dimorphos sped up following the collision.
"The before-and-after nature of this experiment requires exquisite knowledge of the asteroid system before we do anything to it," Nick Moskovitz, an astronomer with Lowell Observatory in Arizona and co-lead of the July observation campaign, said in the statement."We don't want to, at the last minute, say, 'Oh, here's something we hadn't thought about or phenomena we hadn't considered.
The orbit of Dimorphos around Didymos is expected to shorten by several minutes after the impact, as the moon moves closer to the bigger asteroid. By measuring the change with maximum precision, astronomers will be able to glean important information about Dimorphos' structure and properties of the material it is made of.
Argentina Últimas Noticias, Argentina Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Red Alert! NASA Is About to Test Deflecting a Killer AsteroidNASA's first test of a planetary defense system — developed to deflect Earth-threatening asteroids or comets — is slated for launch in late September.
Leer más »
NASA found a 'mini-moon' orbiting an asteroid in the outer solar systemNASA has discovered a mini-moon orbiting an asteroid found on the outer edge of our solar system using its Lucy spacecraft.
Leer más »
Here's the asteroid NASA is going to crash a spacecraft into | Digital TrendsWhat could we do if we spotted a dangerous asteroid on a collision course with our planet? NASA has an idea that it's testing out.
Leer más »
Michael Bankston, good Samaritan shot dead in Chicago's Logan Square, honored with street nameThe city honored Good Samaritan Michael Bankston III with a street naming. He was killed last September in Logan Square while trying to help a woman.
Leer más »
Artemis 1 timeline: What to expect from NASA's epic moon missionHere's a brief rundown of the major Artemis 1 milestones, both before and after its Aug. 29 liftoff.
Leer más »