Tag

Binary Asteroids

All articles tagged with #binary asteroids

space-exploration1 month ago•54 min saved

DART finds binary asteroids exchange debris via slow 'cosmic snowballs'

NASA's DART mission captured the first direct evidence that debris can move between the binary asteroid pair Dimorphos and Didymos, with 2022-era imagery showing fan-shaped streaks likely produced by material shed from Didymos and landing on Dimorphos. The ejecta traveled about 30.7 centimeters per second (12.1 inches per second), slow enough to deposit material rather than creating craters, indicating active surface evolution in a binary asteroid system. The findings, published in The Planetary Science Journal, complement other results showing DART altered Dimorphos’ orbit and slightly shifted the binary system’s orbit around the sun; the ESA Hera mission is set to survey the system later this year to further study the aftermath and improve planetary-defense models.

via Space|

#binary-asteroids #dart #didymos

space2 years ago•3 min saved

NASA Probe Discovers Surprising Binary Asteroid System During Flyby

NASA's Lucy probe, during its flyby of asteroid Dinkinesh, made a surprising discovery - the asteroid has its own tiny moonlet in a close orbit. This finding suggests that there may be more binary asteroids in the Solar System than previously known, providing insights into how rocks in the Solar System grow and interact. Lucy's mission is to study these asteroids to better understand the formation of the Solar System and the processes involved in planet formation. The spacecraft is now heading towards its next target, the asteroid Donaldjohanson, for a rendezvous in 2025.

via ScienceAlert|

#asteroids #binary-asteroids #lucy-probe

space2 years ago•3 min saved

NASA Abandons Janus Asteroid Mission, Leaving Probes Grounded

NASA has canceled the Janus mission, which aimed to send a pair of small satellites to binary asteroids. The completed spacecraft will be put into long-term storage for potential use in future missions. The cancellation was prompted by delays in the Psyche asteroid mission, which Janus was a rideshare payload on. Alternative missions were considered, including a visit to the near-Earth asteroid Apophis, but NASA's planetary science division decided not to pursue them due to budget constraints. The Janus spacecraft will be stored at a Lockheed Martin facility, effectively concluding the project.

via SpaceNews|

#binary-asteroids #future-missions #janus-mission