NASA's DART mission has proven a huge success, changing the orbit of the targeted asteroid by almost 30 minutes.
In total, the orbit shifted from Dimorphos’ previous 11-hour and 55-minute orbit to 11 hours and 23 minutes. However, NASA did mention that it has a margin of uncertainty in place that may change that number by more or less than two minutes. Still, almost 30 minutes of change is a huge success for NASA’s DART mission, especially considering the original benchmark was 73 seconds or more.
Asteroids are a constant possible threat to humanity and Earth, with thousands of asteroids breezing past our planet at dangerous speeds every year. While none of the threatening asteroids – which NASA has dubbed “potentially hazardous” – have come close enough to cause concerns, it is believed an asteroid impact exterminated the dinosaurs and caused a worldwide tsunami millions of years ago.
To help avoid a similar fate for humanity, NASA and others have been looking into ways to react to these dangerous asteroids. Some countries, like China, want to. Meanwhile, the success of NASA’s DART mission shows that we aren’t entirely helpless. But, because it may take so long for the orbit to change, we’ll have to strike fast if ever faced with that kind of scenario.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
NASA says DART mission succeeded in altering asteroid's trajectoryThe spacecraft that NASA deliberately crashed into an asteroid last month succeeded in nudging the rocky moonlet out of its natural orbit -- the first time humanity has altered the motion of a celestial body, NASA's chief announced on Tuesday.
Consulte Mais informação »
Bam! NASA Says DART Really Clocked That Asteroid“For the first time ever, humanity has changed the orbit of a planetary body.” Two weeks after the spacecraft collided with Dimorphos, researchers determined it knocked the space rock 32 minutes off its old orbit.
Consulte Mais informação »
DART mission able to alter asteroid's trajectory in historic test: NASAThe spacecraft that NASA deliberately crashed into an asteroid last month succeeded in nudging the rocky moonlet out of its natural orbit, the US space agency says
Consulte Mais informação »
NASA confirms DART probe's crash into an asteroid successfully changed its courseThe deliberate 14,000-mph crash of a small NASA probe into the asteroid Dimorphos two weeks ago nudged the 525-foot-wide body onto a slightly different course, NASA confirmed Tuesday.
Consulte Mais informação »
Bam! NASA Says DART Really Clocked That AsteroidTwo weeks after the spacecraft collided with Dimorphos, researchers determined that it knocked the space rock 32 minutes off its old orbit.
Consulte Mais informação »
WATCH: NASA says DART mission was 'watershed moment' to protect Earth from threatsNASA said its DART mission in late September, in which the space agency intentionally crashed a probe into an asteroid, exceeded expectations.
Consulte Mais informação »