DART Impact with Asteroid Dimorphos LIVE

a reply to: RickyD

I'm just saying: spend a little extra for a recording + measurement equipment

a reply to: Peeple

Would have taken 2 platforms worth of time and resources. Maybe there wasn't that kind of time. Just saying I think these guys are genuine nerds who want to learn from cool s%*# like this.

a reply to: RickyD

I think it's a commercial to get more funding, because If it were for learning it would have been priority to get as much data out of it as possible.

a reply to: Peeple

Dimorphos orbits Didymos which is a near earth asteroid of 560 ft diameter. It has an orbit between 1-2.27 AU and 770 days... Just beyond Mars apparently fascinating.

Right now the binary system is "parallel" to earth in relation to the sun, I'm not sure of the dynamics of it's orbit but it seems like now would've been the perfect time to shoot and observe. To Add: it's not getting any closer for a long time it seems.

Sounds perfect for a "small scale" project. From what I gather, I look forward to the results.

originally posted by: putnam6
That was pretty cool to watch, proof of concept, have been hearing about this theoretically for decades... they just hit an object about 500 feet across from millions of miles away

I’m wondering why we didn’t/couldn’t have a telescope looking at the asteroid so we could watch the impact from another angle? 🧐

Problem for me watching it was that the Asteroid appeared to be both small and made up of a loose conglomerate of smaller rock's, how well will such an impact work on a loose conglomerate of smaller rock's?.

Yes there are probably larger rocks in mix.

For such an asteroid to my mind the following would be a far better option, a large net of some kind deployed to snare the loose conglomerate and instead of impacting the asteroid a rocket using a tow rope style affair and guidance systems to then PULL the asteroid into a different and safer trajectory.

I am genuinely NOT impressed by this simply ploy to HIT a rock in space and hope for the best.

Now remember the old plan's for nuclear rocket's like the ancient Orion program which used (would have it it had ever been built) pulse detonation of small nuclear devices in an armoured deflector at the rear of the rocket), that would possibly also be able to use a similar technique of TOWING to displace the trajectory of even HUGE asteroids but of course the further away the better the results, close asteroids were the towing would not be sufficient could perhaps benefit from a two stroke mission, first net and tow and then impact to break apart so that even if an impact was unavoidable if we would break it apart enough the smaller fragments would hopefully all or mostly burn up on a grazing rather than a bull's eye impact trajectory.

Another idea is to use Space based lasers to create an ablative affect on the surface of an asteroid vaporising part of it's surface and causing it to act like a thrust that would use the mass of the asteroid as the fuel to push it off into another trajectory.

Impacting it has the potential though to cause more harm than good, it can turn one rock into several and there trajectory's may be unpredictable until AFTER the main body has been broken apart.

Not the smartest move and a very costly one when by developing the net idea you get to kill two birds with one stone, a method for cleaning up our dead satellites and space junk and one that can also be applied at longer range to taking out potentially dangerous earth crossing asteroids so investing in this would have been far more sensible and in the long run cost affective.


You know capture a dangerous asteroid far enough away and even an ionic thruster would be enough to shunt it's orbital trajectory but it is detecting such dangers far enough away that is the problem so more powerful engines would of course have to be used for closer asteroids depending on the necessary trajectory change required to render them safe (or to move them into suitable orbits for mining and who can't see that going wrong? and even worse for WEAPONISING asteroids a definite threat in the long term as nations develop that ability).

Am I wrong? According o an earlier simulation they showed cameras being ejected before the satellite impacted to capture the impact live.

If you watched the broadcast they explained what they did and why they were doing it. They can measure the smaller asteroid's orbit around the larger one. With the change in the orbit they can calculate the amount of influence that the impact had.

a reply to: Albert999

This?

gizmodo.com...

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: Albert999

This?

gizmodo.com...

Interesting, why did they choose to film it on a potato?

a reply to: Albert999

It's millions of miles away?

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: Albert999

It's millions of miles away?

I would have thought the James Webb or Hubble would have been a good choice?

originally posted by: carewemust

originally posted by: Akragon
Anyone get a screen shot of that last frame before impact?

That was quite a sight to see..... amazing job!

Here ya go!: twitter.com...

Some interesting things clinging to that. One or two places looked very triangular/pyramidal. There are mushroom looking projections and block shaped ones too. Did I say interesting? Only if you are a nerd I am certain.

Watching the Video it is not as obvious as the snapshot pic we have here. The Rectangular block on the upper right of the screen stuck out watching it get to impact.

a reply to: Justoneman

Here:

petapixel.com...

Saw the other footage showing the aftermath of the hit. It blew off some of the powdered rubble, but didn't change the path of the thing.

What a waste of money.

a reply to: Creep Thumper

We have to wait and see?

What evidence do you have that it didn't change it's path?

Eh, Creep?

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: Creep Thumper

We have to wait and see?

What evidence do you have that it didn't change it's path?

Eh, Creep?

The video. It continued merrily on.

a reply to: putnam6

Well I did post this back in 2021.

The start of the 1000 year reign of the saints.

In 2033 approximately. So. The Apocalypse must start no later than 2026. So roughly 2028 or so for Wormwood.

Asteroid Apophis sure has incredibly bad timing.


Especially if an all powerful spirit being wants to give it a poke.

a reply to: Creep Thumper

Any change would be v small.

You can't tell from the vid.

No one said it wouldn't continue on.

Let's wait and see.