DART Mission: See images of the impact NASA telescopes are receiving!

For the first time, two NASA space observatories have observed the same target simultaneously: telescopes James Webb and Hubble Images from NASA’s Double Asteroid Orientation Test (DART) experiment, which changed the path of the asteroid Dimorphos in the space agency’s first planetary defense test. Now, we can observe the images of this success.

According to NASA, the coordinated observation of the deliberate collision with one of the asteroids of the Didymos system, made by telescopes, is an operational milestone. From now on, they can work together on important scientific questions about the formation and history of the world. solar system.

Together, the telescopes’ observations of the DART mission will allow scientists to know the surface of the asteroid Dimorphos, how much material was ejected by the collision, and at what speed.

As telescopes capture the effect at different wavelengths of light (Webb in Infrared and Hubble in visible light), it will be possible to observe data such as the particles ejected by the explosion, which will help scientists understand how effective an impact is. DART can change the trajectory of an asteroid.

Check out the image from the James Webb telescope:

Webb observed the effect for five hours and captured 10 images. The scientists plan to observe the mission-affected asteroid system in the next few months using a telescope.

Check out the images taken by Hubble:

NASA, ESA, Jian-Yang Li (PSI).

Hubble made observations of the binary system up to 15 minutes after the collision. Some of the rays appeared slightly bent, and NASA said astronomers have yet to analyze the images to determine what that might mean.

Hubble is also expected to monitor the Didymos-Dimorphos system over the next three weeks.