Hubble and JWST equally saw the aftermath of NASA’s DART asteroid mission
Following NASA’s DART mission slammed into the asteroid Dimorphos, the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb House Telescope took simultaneous pics of what was left powering
Space
29 September 2022
The two most powerful telescopes in service have equally taken photographs of the exact same small asteroid. The Hubble Area Telescope and the James Webb Room Telescope (JWST) at the same time snapped the asteroid Dimorphos in the aftermath of NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART).
The DART spacecraft slammed into Dimorphos on 26 September in an try to alter its orbit all around the bigger asteroid Didymos. The collision established big plumes of dust and debris, and equally Hubble and JWST noticed Dimorphos prior to and after the crash.
The purpose of the DART mission is to check no matter whether we would be in a position to use a equivalent spacecraft to deflect an asteroid had been it headed in the direction of Earth – Dimorphos is fully harmless, earning it a great take a look at topic. To determine out how the take a look at went, scientists will analyse how a great deal Dimorphos’ orbit about Didymos modified, as properly as the product homes of the asteroid.
These photos from Hubble and JWST will help researchers ascertain what Dimorphos is made of, how much of it was wrecked in the collision and blasted off into place, and how speedy that product hurtled absent. This will assistance us realize the very best way to push a risky asteroid off program.
This is the initially time the two enormous orbiting telescopes have looked at the identical object at the same time. Both of those will continue on to observe Dimorphos over the coming weeks and months to monitor the expanding cloud of debris and analyze the fresh new floor of the asteroid beneath now that all that dust has been blasted away.
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Following NASA’s DART mission slammed into the asteroid Dimorphos, the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb House Telescope took simultaneous pics of what was left powering
Space
29 September 2022
The two most powerful telescopes in service have equally taken photographs of the exact same small asteroid. The Hubble Area Telescope and the James Webb Room Telescope (JWST) at the same time snapped the asteroid Dimorphos in the aftermath of NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART).
The DART spacecraft slammed into Dimorphos on 26 September in an try to alter its orbit all around the bigger asteroid Didymos. The collision established big plumes of dust and debris, and equally Hubble and JWST noticed Dimorphos prior to and after the crash.
The purpose of the DART mission is to check no matter whether we would be in a position to use a equivalent spacecraft to deflect an asteroid had been it headed in the direction of Earth – Dimorphos is fully harmless, earning it a great take a look at topic. To determine out how the take a look at went, scientists will analyse how a great deal Dimorphos’ orbit about Didymos modified, as properly as the product homes of the asteroid.
These photos from Hubble and JWST will help researchers ascertain what Dimorphos is made of, how much of it was wrecked in the collision and blasted off into place, and how speedy that product hurtled absent. This will assistance us realize the very best way to push a risky asteroid off program.
This is the initially time the two enormous orbiting telescopes have looked at the identical object at the same time. Both of those will continue on to observe Dimorphos over the coming weeks and months to monitor the expanding cloud of debris and analyze the fresh new floor of the asteroid beneath now that all that dust has been blasted away.
Signal up to our totally free Launchpad publication for a voyage throughout the galaxy and beyond, each and every Friday
More on these subjects: