DART mission unveils origin of battered space rock Dimorphos.

1 min read
Source: Space.com
DART mission unveils origin of battered space rock Dimorphos.
Photo: Space.com
TL;DR Summary

NASA's DART mission successfully tested our ability to defend Earth from a threatening asteroid by nudging it out of harm's way. The mission also revealed that the asteroid Dimorphos didn't form on its own but rather as a ring of material flung off from its larger parent, Didymos. The researchers propose that the YORP effect triggered avalanches on the surface of Didymos, which were then flung away from the parent asteroid due to the extreme angular momentum. That material then gathered in a ring surrounding Didymos, eventually forming Dimorphos.

Share this article

Reading Insights

Total Reads

0

Unique Readers

0

Time Saved

5 min

vs 6 min read

Condensed

92%

1,05389 words

Want the full story? Read the original article

Read on Space.com