DART Collision Nudges Didymos-Dimorphos’ Solar Path
TL;DR
A Science Advances study shows NASA’s DART impact on Dimorphos changed not only Dimorphos’ orbit around Didymos, but also the pair’s orbit around the Sun by about 0.15 seconds — the first measurable change to a celestial body’s solar orbit caused by a human-made object. The team used radar, ground-based observations, and 22 stellar occultations to measure Didymos’ motion; debris momentum (momentum enhancement ~2) amplified DART’s effect. This validates kinetic impact as a planetary-defense technique and informs future missions like NASA’s NEO Surveyor.
- NASA’s DART Mission Changed Orbit of Asteroid Didymos Around Sun NASA (.gov)
- Asteroid-Smashing NASA Mission Sped Up Space Rocks’ Journey Around the Sun The New York Times
- In a first, NASA changed an asteroid’s orbit around the sun—by accident National Geographic
- Spacecraft's impact changed asteroid's orbit around the sun in a save-the-Earth test, study finds KSL.com
- NASA changed an asteroid's orbit around the sun for the first time New Scientist
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on NASA (.gov)