Mysterious Behavior of NASA's Smashed Asteroid Leaves Scientists Baffled
The asteroid Dimorphos, which was successfully diverted by NASA's DART test last year, is exhibiting unexpected behavior by continuing to slow down in its orbit around the larger asteroid Didymos. The DART test was intended to change Dimorphos' trajectory, and it initially succeeded in reducing its orbit period. However, observations by a schoolteacher and his student astronomers indicate that the asteroid's orbit has continued to slow down, contrary to expectations. The cause of this phenomenon remains unknown, and theories suggest that the impact may have altered Dimorphos' orbit or released it from Didymos' tidal forces. NASA will be releasing a report on the DART mission's latest update, while the findings of the schoolteacher and his students will be published by the American Astronomical Society.
