{"id":36922,"date":"2022-09-27T08:30:59","date_gmt":"2022-09-27T08:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=112301"},"modified":"2022-09-27T08:55:34","modified_gmt":"2022-09-27T08:55:34","slug":"nasas-dart-mission-successfully-impacts-asteroid","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/nasas-dart-mission-successfully-impacts-asteroid\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s DART mission successfully impacts asteroid"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Iain Todd\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 27 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

NASA\u2019s DART mission \u2013 Double Asteroid Redirection Test \u2013 has successfully impacted its target asteroid.<\/p>\n

The successful impact took place at 23:14 UTC on 26 September, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, announced.<\/p>\n

The DART mission was live streamed online<\/a> so that viewers all around the world could watch the final moments as the spacecraft approached its target.<\/p>\n

The DART mission<\/a> is a strand of NASA\u2019s defence strategy, its purpose to see whether the course of an asteroid<\/a> or comet<\/a> could be deflected, should it be heading towards Earth.<\/p>\n\n<p>This marks the first time an asteroid has been deflected through impact by a spacecraft.<\/p>\n<p>The target asteroid was actually an asteroid moonlet called Dimorphos measuring 160m in diameter.<\/p>\n<p>Dimophus orbits a 780m asteroid called Didymos.<\/p>\n<p>Following the successful impact, the DART mission team will now observe Dimorphus using ground-based telescopes to measure how much DART has altered its orbit.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s thought that DART will have shortened Dimorphism\u2019s orbit by about 1%, which would amount to a difference of around 10 minutes, but more analysis will be carried out to confirm this.<\/p>\n<div class=\""image-handler__container\" image-handler__container--full=\"\" style=\""padding-bottom:\" calc=\"\"> <picture><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=300%2C301,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?quality=90&resize=300%2C301,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=355%2C356,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?quality=90&resize=355%2C356,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=405%2C406"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?quality=90&resize=405%2C406"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=554%2C555"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?quality=90&resize=554%2C555"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=620%2C622"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C622"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=408%2C409"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?quality=90&resize=408%2C409"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=556%2C557"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?quality=90&resize=556%2C557"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><img class=\""wp-image-112305\" align=\"\" size-full=\"\" image-handler__image=\"\" image-handler__image--full=\"\" no-wrap=\"\" js-lazyload=\"\" data-src=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-both-asteroids-ec01a61.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C622"\" width=\""760"\" height=\""762"\" alt=\"""\" title=\"""\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><div class=\""caption-hold"\"><figcaption class=\""wp-caption-text"\"><span class=\""caption-copy"\"><i class=\""icon-arrow\" icon-camera-circle=\"\"\/> Asteroid Didymos (top left) and moonlet Dimorphos, 2.5 minutes before the impact of NASA\u2019s DART spacecraft. Credit: NASA\/Johns Hopkins APL<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\""im-image-caption"\"\/><\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Images have been released by the DART science team, captured by the spacecraft\u2019s <strong>Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical navigation (DRACO)<\/strong>, and showing the final moments before DART crashed into its target.<\/p>\n<p>Together with a guidance, navigation and control system that works in tandem with the spacecraft\u2019s <strong>Small-body Maneuvering Autonomous Real Time Navigation (SMART Nav)<\/strong> algorithms, these systems enabled the DART spacecraft to distinguish between the asteroid and its moonlet, and target the smaller of the two.<\/p>\n<div class=\""image-handler__container\" image-handler__container--full=\"\" style=\""padding-bottom:\" calc=\"\"> <picture><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=300%2C300,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?quality=90&resize=300%2C300,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=355%2C355,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?quality=90&resize=355%2C355,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=405%2C405,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?quality=90&resize=405%2C405,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=554%2C554"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?quality=90&resize=554%2C554"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=620%2C620"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C620"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=408%2C408,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?quality=90&resize=408%2C408,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=556%2C556"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?quality=90&resize=556%2C556"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><img class=\""wp-image-112306\" align=\"\" size-full=\"\" image-handler__image=\"\" image-handler__image--full=\"\" no-wrap=\"\" js-lazyload=\"\" data-src=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-image-4d02a2c.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C620"\" width=\""1024"\" height=\""1024"\" alt=\"""\" title=\"""\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><div class=\""caption-hold"\"><figcaption class=\""wp-caption-text"\"><span class=\""caption-copy"\"><i class=\""icon-arrow\" icon-camera-circle=\"\"\/> Asteroid moonlet Dimorphos as seen by the DART spacecraft, 11 seconds before impact. Credit: NASA\/Johns Hopkins APL<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\""im-image-caption"\"\/><\/div>\n<p>The 570kg DART spacecraft was guided by these systems through the last 90,000km of its journey to crash into the moonlet at about 22,530km per hour.<\/p>\n<p>In 4 years, the European Space Agency\u2019s Hera project will observe both Dimorphos and Didymos to analyse the effects of the collision; specifically studying the resulting crater and measuring the moonlet\u2019s mass.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt its core, DART represents an unprecedented success for planetary defence, but it is also a mission of unity with a real benefit for all humanity,\u201d says NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs NASA studies the cosmos and our home planet, we\u2019re also working to protect that home, and this international collaboration turned science fiction into science fact, demonstrating one way to protect Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\""image-handler__container\" image-handler__container--full=\"\" style=\""padding-bottom:\" calc=\"\"> <picture><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=300%2C300,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?quality=90&resize=300%2C300,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=355%2C355,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?quality=90&resize=355%2C355,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=405%2C405,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?quality=90&resize=405%2C405,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=554%2C554"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(max-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?quality=90&resize=554%2C554"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=620%2C620"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C620"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=408%2C408,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?quality=90&resize=408%2C408,\" https:=\"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?webp=true&quality=90&resize=556%2C556"\" type=\""image\/webp"\"><source media=\""(min-width:\" data-srcset=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?quality=90&resize=556%2C556"\" type=\""image\/png"\"><img class=\""wp-image-112304\" align=\"\" size-full=\"\" image-handler__image=\"\" image-handler__image--full=\"\" no-wrap=\"\" js-lazyload=\"\" data-src=\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/09\/nasa-dart-mission-final-image-4ce8aa8.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C620"\" width=\""1020"\" height=\""1020"\" alt=\"""\" title=\"""\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><div class=\""caption-hold"\"><figcaption class=\""wp-caption-text"\"><span class=\""caption-copy"\"><i class=\""icon-arrow\" icon-camera-circle=\"\"\/> The last complete image of asteroid moonlet Dimorphos, captured by the DRACO imager on NASA\u2019s DART mission, about 12km from the asteroid and 2 seconds before impact. Credits: NASA\/Johns Hopkins APL<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\""im-image-caption"\"\/><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThis first-of-its-kind mission required incredible preparation and precision, and the team exceeded expectations on all counts,\u201d says APL Director Ralph Semmel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeyond the truly exciting success of the technology demonstration, capabilities based on DART could one day be used to change the course of an asteroid to protect our planet and preserve life on Earth as we know it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat a remarkable day for humanity,\u201d said APL Space Exploration Sector Head Bobby Braun.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe team nailed it \u2014 and I couldn\u2019t be more proud of their efforts. Data from this test will inform future planetary defense efforts. Today is a milestone in demonstrating just how far our nation\u2019s space program has come, and how important it is to all of us here on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Find out more at the <a href=\"\/\/dart.jhuapl.edu\/"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""noopener" noopener noreferrer\">DART mission webpage<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Iain Todd Published: Tuesday, 27 September 2022 at 12:00 am NASA\u2019s DART mission \u2013 Double Asteroid Redirection Test \u2013 has successfully impacted its target asteroid. The successful impact took place at 23:14 UTC on 26 September, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, announced. The DART mission was live […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":36923,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/09\/nasas-dart-mission-successfully-impacts-asteroid.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/09\/nasas-dart-mission-successfully-impacts-asteroid-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/09\/nasas-dart-mission-successfully-impacts-asteroid-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/09\/nasas-dart-mission-successfully-impacts-asteroid-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/09\/nasas-dart-mission-successfully-impacts-asteroid-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/09\/nasas-dart-mission-successfully-impacts-asteroid.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/09\/nasas-dart-mission-successfully-impacts-asteroid.jpg",1200,800,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Iain Todd Published: Tuesday, 27 September 2022 at 12:00 am NASA\u2019s DART mission \u2013 Double Asteroid Redirection Test \u2013 has successfully impacted its target asteroid. The successful impact took place at 23:14 UTC on 26 September, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, announced. The DART mission was live…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/36922"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}