After NASA successfully crashed a spacecraft into Dimorphos last week, the asteroid now has a 6,000-mile-long tail made of dust and debris.
last week, the asteroid now has a 6,000 mile-long tail made of dust and debris.
“It is amazing how clearly we were able to capture the structure and extent of the aftermath in the days following the impact,” says Teddy Kareta who imaged the new tail. SOAR will continue to observe the aftermath of the DART impact, seen above, collecting data that will help assess how successful the attempt to modify Dimophos’ orbit has been.
“We plan to use SOAR to monitor the ejecta in the coming weeks and months. The combination of SOAR and AEON is just what we need for efficient follow-up of evolving events like this one.”Analyzing the impact that DART had on the asteroid will help scientists understand how to protect Earth and its inhabitants in the event that a meteor is on a direct-collision course with Earth.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Residents in San Jose Neighborhood Frustrated With Frequent Power OutagesDozens of people in one San Jose neighborhood say they’re averaging one power outage a week.
Read more »
Astronomers may have found new planets that are more habitable than EarthAstronomers say they may have discovered habitable planets that are more friendly to life than even Earth is.
Read more »
'Pale blue dot' planets like Earth may make up only 1% of potentially habitable worldsKeith Cooper is a freelance science journalist and editor in the United Kingdom, and has a degree in physics and astrophysics from the University of Manchester. He's the author of 'The Contact Paradox: Challenging Our Assumptions in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence' (Bloomsbury Sigma, 2020) and has written articles on astronomy, space, physics and astrobiology for a multitude of magazines and websites.
Read more »
These Are the Most Delicious Sandwiches on EarthSatisfy those lunchtime cravings with our 21 favorite sandwich recipes including bánh mì, braaibroodjie, and gochujang sloppy Joes.
Read more »