NASA successfully deflected a small asteroid with its DART rocket, kinetic strike ejected a significant amount of debris from the asteroid — impact nudges the orbit of the small astronomical body, affecting the larger cosmic object as well

Dimorphos and Didyphos.

NASA just reported that the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART, was successful in altering the orbit of the smaller body in a binary asteroid system. The space agency launched the DART probe in November 2021, taking nearly nine months before it hit the 560-foot or 170-meter-wide Dimorphos in September 2022. According to NASA, the agency, alongside several volunteer astronomers, observed the pair over several months, where it was noted that Dimorphos’ 12-hour orbit around its larger sibling, the 880-yard or 805-meter-wide Didymos, was reduced by around 33 minutes. More importantly, it also affected the system’s orbit around the Sun by 0.15 seconds.

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