Hubble Captures Movie of DART Asteroid Impact Debris

Stsci_2023-006a_1024

stsci_2023-006a February 23rd, 2023

Credit: Science: NASA, ESA, STScI, Jian-Yang Li (PSI); Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScI)

In 2022 NASA embarked on a bold experiment to see if they could change an asteroid's velocity by smacking it with a ballistic probe – kind of like hitting it with a hammer. This experiment was to test a potential technique to someday deflect an asteroid on a collision course to Earth. Perhaps, for the first time in the history of the universe, an intelligent planetary species sought ways to avoid its own potential extinction by threats from outer space (something the dinosaurs, who were wiped out 65 million years ago by a rogue asteroid, never evolved to accomplish). Called DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test), the target was a binary asteroid Didymos/Dimorphos. On September 26, 2022, Dimorphos was hit with the DART spacecraft, which was half the weight of a small car.

Hubble had a ringside seat to the demolition derby. It fired off a series of snapshots over several days capturing the outflow of tons of dusty debris from the 13,000-miles-per-hour impact. Astronomers didn't know what to expect. They were surprised, delighted, and somewhat mystified by the results. The dust blew off the asteroid into a cone shape, got twisted-up along the asteroid's orbit about its companion, and was then blown into a comet-like tail. Knowing how to steer a rogue asteroid away from a catastrophic collision with Earth might save humanity someday.

Provider: Space Telescope Science Institute

Image Source: https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2023/news-2023-006

Curator: STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA

Image Use Policy: http://stsci.edu/copyright/

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Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Didymos-Dimorphos
Subject - Solar System
Interplanetary Body > Asteroid

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 0h 0m 0.0s
DEC = 0° 0’ 0.0”
Constellation
Pisces

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Hubble (WFC3/UVIS) Optical (B) 350.0 nm
Spectrum_base
Blue
Stsci_2023-006a_1280
×
ID
2023-006a
Subject Category
A.2.3  
Subject Name
Didymos-Dimorphos
Credits
Science: NASA, ESA, STScI, Jian-Yang Li (PSI); Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScI)
Release Date
2023-02-23T00:00:00
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2023/news-2023-006
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Hubble
Instrument
WFC3/UVIS
Color Assignment
Blue
Band
Optical
Bandpass
B
Central Wavelength
350
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
Reference Value
0, 0
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
Position
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
STScI
URL
http://stsci.edu
Name
Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach
Email
outreach@stsci.edu
Telephone
410-338-4444
Address
3700 San Martin Drive
City
Baltimore
State/Province
MD
Postal Code
21218
Country
USA
Rights
http://stsci.edu/copyright/
Publisher
STScI
Publisher ID
stsci
Resource ID
STSCI-H-p23006a-f-1920x3240.tif
Metadata Date
2023-03-02
Metadata Version
1.2
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