NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) space operation was a triumph in science and space exploration. Jacinto amateur astronomer Roger Perez was not left behind and captured this epic moment in his fascinating video, which has now gone viral on social media.
Credit: Jacint Roger Perez, a volunteer scientist from Barcelona
The breathtaking footage records the collision and shows the powerful release of dust and rocks from the asteroid’s vulnerability. After this “cosmic accident,” an impressive debris tail stretched behind the asteroid for tens of thousands of kilometers and remained visible for several months. Unexpected changes in Dimorph’s orbit caused its rotation period to be shortened by half an hour, which proved to be much more efficient than expected.
Artist’s impressions of the collision of DART with the asteroid Dimorphos. Credit: ESA
The DART mission was recognized as a successful project for studying asteroids and solving possible threats from dangerous space bodies to the Earth. The increased amount of received data contributes to developing scientific theories and improving interaction methods with space objects that may pose a potential danger to our planet. NASA confirms the success of a recent attempt to divert the small asteroid “Dimorphos” from its path.
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