Stunning images showing NASA’s DART spacecraft’s intentional collision with an asteroid were released Tuesday.
vending-machine-sizedThe images were transmitted seven million miles back to earth about three hours following NASA’s successful impact on the asteroid Monday night during a test run to prepare for when a massive space rock actually threatens Earth,The images from Agenzia Spaziale Italiana show the asteroid before and after impact, with clouds of debris surrounding the 530-foot space rock, called Dimorphos.
DART, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, smashed into Dimorphos at 15,000 miles per hour around 7:15 p.m. Monday night,No known asteroid larger than 450 feet is expected to hit Earth over the next 100 years.Astronomers are now monitoring Didymos asteroid system to measure how much Dimorphos’ orbit sped up, according to Space.com.
“We still need a little patience, let the scientists speak to understand the value of these images,” Giorgio Saccoccia, President of ASI,The $325 million mission will likely only benefit future generations, as no known asteroid larger than 450 feet is projected to hit the Earth over the next century,, is now barreling through the depths of space into oblivion as it continues to shoot images back to earth.