Hollywood likes to blow up incoming asteroids with nukes, but NASA's first test of whether it can change the trajectory of a space rock will try just giving one a little nudge.
, the DART coordination lead at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, who says the planned collision is just a nudge that's similar to"running a golf cart into the Great Pyramid."The target asteroid, called Dimorphos, is around 7 million miles away and poses no threat to Earth. It's about 525 feet across and orbits another, larger asteroid.
, associate administrator for the science mission directorate at NASA."It's just not scientifically possible, just because of momentum conservation and other things." These two asteroids are so far away that telescopes see them as a single point of light that dims and brightens as Dimorphos goes around. Images from the DART spacecraft's camera will be the first chance that scientists have to see the asteroid they've been working to hit.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tropical Storm Ian Forces NASA to Postpone Upcoming Launch of MegarocketNASA will decide on Sunday whether the Artemis 1 rocket needs to be transported back to the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Read more »
Visualizing how cool it is to be greenThese maps from NASA are hot.
Read more »
NASA Is About to Start the Fight Against Asteroid ApocalypseBruce Willis and Ben Affleck can sit this one out.
Read more »
NASA says InSight Lander’s survival relies on Martian weather nowNASA says the InSight Lander's survival is reliant on the Martian weather and a small dust storm could finally kill the research vessel.
Read more »