Nasa slams Dart spacecraft into asteroid

[Hanno Labuschagne]

Nasa slams Dart spacecraft into asteroid

A Nasa spacecraft successfully crashed into an asteroid approximately 6.8 million miles (10.9 million kilometres) from Earth in a test to determine if the impact can nudge the space rock slightly off course.

Nasa launched its Dart spacecraft in November 2021 with the express purpose of colliding with an asteroid about the size of a football stadium at 14,000 miles per hour.

[Bloomberg]

 

[Rickster]

@Hanno Labuschagne, who is Nzsa?

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

@Hanno Labuschagne, who is Nzsa?

Zimbabwean space agency, duh

 

[Itsa Trap]

Humanity 1, Space rock 0...

I've read the work of a very wise author who once wrote:

“If complete and utter chaos was lightning, then he'd be the sort to stand on a hilltop in a thunderstorm wearing wet copper armour and shouting 'All gods are bastards!”​

However in this case I would equate this to human hubris, you know, the kind where you call a ship unsinkable.

Whomever came up with that 1-0 title, thank you for dooming the species. Gods bless.

 

[Itsa Trap]

I mean honestly, if you kept score since the planet formed... errr, I think we're a bit late to the game of revenge strikes.

 

[ForceFate]

I mean honestly, if you kept score since the planet formed... errr, I think we're a bit late to the game of revenge strikes.

We were not part of the team that was utterly humiliated by space rocks. We're new. Our match has just kicked off.

 

[Gordon_R]

People losing their minds over 8 frames.

There were many other telescopes observing the mission. Post impact footage is the most important, including JWST, and observatories in South Africa:

 

[umamankandla]

People losing their minds over 8 frames.

Its 1888 all over again

 

[Defonotaltaccount]

Would suck if they somehow deflected it towards us.

 

[Gordon_R]

The impact produced some extraordinary effects:

Asteroid struck by Nasa probe leaves 10,000km trail

A telescope in Chile captures an image of a comet-like plume of debris behind the giant rock.

www.bbc.com

The extraordinary image was taken two days after the collision by astronomers in Chile, who were able to capture the vast trail using the Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (Soar).

It stretches for more than 10,000km (6,200 miles), and is expected to get even longer until it disperses completely, and looks like other space dust floating around.

"It is amazing how clearly we were able to capture the structure and extent of the aftermath in the days following the impact," said Teddy Kareta, an astronomer involved in the observation.

 

[Gordon_R]

NASA confirms a change in the asteroid trajectory:

Nasa's Dart spacecraft 'changed path of asteroid'

Smashing a probe into threatening space rocks is a strategy to defend Earth, an experiment confirms.

www.bbc.com

The space rock orbits a much larger (780m wide) object called Didymos. Before impact, the time taken for Dimorphos to make one circuit of its sibling was 11 hours and 55 minutes.

The telescope evidence now indicates this orbital period has been reduced to 11 hours and 23 minutes - a change of 32 minutes.

 

[ToxicBunny]

NASA confirms a change in the asteroid trajectory:

Nasa's Dart spacecraft 'changed path of asteroid'

Smashing a probe into threatening space rocks is a strategy to defend Earth, an experiment confirms.

www.bbc.com

Very damned impressive.

 

[Gordon_R]

Scott Manley update: