DART Collision Nudges Didymos-Dimorphos’ Solar Path
TL;DR Summary
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.
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