Regístrese ahora para una mejor cotización personalizada!

After being smashed into by a NASA spacecraft, Dimorphos asteroid grows a tail

Oct, 04, 2022 Hi-network.com
Image: CTIO/NOIRLab/SOAR/NSF/AURA/T. Kareta (Lowell Observatory), M. Knight (US Naval Academy)

Last week, NASA intentionally sent a spacecraft to smash into the Dimorphos asteroid in its DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission. Since then, telescopes have captured images of the fascinating aftermath. 

The latest, an image taken by the SOAR Telescope in Chile, shows a comet-like bright streak of dust emerging from the asteroid and stretching across the sky.  

Featured

  • New iPhone 15 Pro overheating reports: Still too hot after iOS 17.0.3 and fresh issues arise after the update
  • Generative AI will far surpass what ChatGPT can do. Here's everything on how the tech advances
  • iPhone 15 Pro review: Prepare to be dazzled
  • The best USB-C cables for the iPhone 15: What the experts recommend

Astronomers Teddy Kareta from Arizona's Lowell Observatory and Matthew Knight of the US Naval Academy used the 4.1-meter Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope in Chile to capture an image of the vast plume of debris that emerged from the asteroid two days after impact. 

SEE:The NASA DART mission smashed a spacecraft into an asteroid. Now what?

The image shows a dust trail of ejecta that has been pushed away by the Sun's radiation pressure and stretches at least 10,000 kilometers. 

"It is amazing how clearly we were able to capture the structure and extent of the aftermath in the days following the impact," Kareta said in the October 3 image release. 

SEE: NASA DART mission: The last images the space probe took before getting smashed

The kinetic impact that resulted from the spacecraft crashing into the asteroid caused dust particles and debris, ejecta, to emerge into space. Studying the ejecta allows scientists to learn about the effects of the impact, such as if the asteroid changed course and about the nature of the asteroid's surface. 

"Now begins the next phase of work for the DART team as they analyze their data and observations by our team and other observers around the world who shared in studying this exciting event," said Knight. "We plan to use SOAR to monitor the ejecta in the coming weeks and months."

Although the first part of the mission, hitting the asteroid, was a success, the second part of the mission, observing the aftermath of the impact and seeing if the asteroid's path changed, is just as important to the mission's goal of preventing an asteroid from wiping out humankind in the future. 

"You know, if you went up and you tried to move an asteroid to deflect it from hitting the Earth and it didn't move, that's not successful, right?" Carolyn Ernst, DART DRACO instrument scientist at Johns Hopkins APL, said to . 

Space

What is Artemis? Everything you need to know about NASA's new moon missionNASA has solved the mystery of Voyager 1's strange data transmissionsNASA's new tiny, high-powered laser could find water on the MoonNASA is blazing an inspirational trail. We need to make sure everyone can follow it
  • What is Artemis? Everything you need to know about NASA's new moon mission
  • NASA has solved the mystery of Voyager 1's strange data transmissions
  • NASA's new tiny, high-powered laser could find water on the Moon
  • NASA is blazing an inspirational trail. We need to make sure everyone can follow it

tag-icon Etiquetas calientes: innovación Espacio espacio

Copyright © 2014-2024 Hi-Network.com | HAILIAN TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED | All Rights Reserved.