Image Shows 10,000 Km Long Trail Of Debris Left Behind By DART Asteroid Collision
A telescope in Chile has managed to capture the long trail of dust left behind by the DART mission that smashed into an asteroid in hopes changing its trajectory.
In the future, DART's lessons may be used to change the pathway of an asteroid that might be headed towards Earth. Remember dinosaurs? Yeah, they would have loved DART.
Preparing for doomsday?
After a spacecraft smashed into Dimorphos (a moonlet of the larger asteroid Didymos) on September 26, the asteroid has developed a tail of debris. This new image was taken by astronomers using the Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope in Chile two days after the collision shows a stream of debris.
Mind you, Dimorphos is extremely small on the universal scale - spreading just 170 metres across. This new stream of dust and rocks created by the impact is about 10,000 kilometres long.
Also read:?James Webb And Hubble Space Telescope Capture DART Spacecraft Crashing Into The Asteroid
Once scientists ascertain how much of Dimorphos' orbit around Didymos has changed, they'll have a better idea about the course of action needed in case a foreign object was hurtling towards Earth at high speeds.
These images show a tail emanating from the asteroid as a result of the same process that lends comets their tails. Essentially, radiation from the Sun pushed the debris into a stream that extends beyond the main body of the space object.
Also read:?Asteroid Impact: Last Images Clicked By DART Before It Smashed Into Dimorphos
By observing data from the impact, scientists will also get a peek at the internal structure of Dimorphos. In turn, this could help astronomers develop more effective missions to deal with asteroids. The stronger a rock's interior, the more likely it is to change its orbit instead of crumbling away.
What do you think about this magical feat of science? Let us know in the comments below.?For?more in the world of?technology?and?science, keep reading?Indiatimes.com.
References
Crane, L. (2022, October 4). Photo shows 10,000 km debris tail caused by DART asteroid smash. New Scientist. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.newscientist.com/article/2340837-photo-shows-10000-km-debris-tail-caused-by-dart-asteroid-smash/
