BackNASA to crash asteroid on 26 September
The plan called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) involves crashing a 500kg spacecraft into binary asteroid 65803 Didymos and its moonlet Dimorphos
PremiumOn September 26, NASA will make an attempt to re-route an asteroid—by smashing into it. The plan called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) involves crashing a 500kg spacecraft into binary asteroid 65803 Didymos and its moonlet Dimorphos (nicknamed “Didymoon") in a bit to change their trajectory, according to Forbes.
Launched in November 2021, DART will arrive at Didymos and Didymoon in September and will crash into Didymoon at about 15,000 miles per hour.
However, Didymos and Didymoon are no threat to Earth. NASA's DART mission is just an effort to protect Earth from other space rocks that may be more dangerous.
What is Didymos?
According to Spcae.com, pair of asteroids together are known as Didymos, but individually, the two rocks are Didymos and Dimorphos. Dimorphos also orbits Didymos, circling its larger twin every 11 hours and 55 minutes. Didymos is a large asteroid (2,560 feet) while Dimorphos is 525 feet.
For decades, telescopes on Earth have been able to track that movement "just like clockwork". As Dimorphos passes between Didymos and Earth, telescopes around the globe can measure the resulting change in brightness from the system.
The clockwork motion of the Didymos system makes it ideal for the DART mission. NASA will redirect dangerous asteroids off-course to avoid them striking Earth. Didymos itself poses no threat to Earth but will serve as a test target.
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