It might not look like much, but here is the first monumental image from the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). Earlier this month, a circular door covering the aperture of its DRACO telescopic camera was opened, allowing the camera to take it
est . Earlier this month, a circular door covering the aperture of its DRACO telescopic camera was opened, allowing the camera to take its first image.asteroidThe goal of DART is to intentionally collide with Dimorphos. If everything goes according to plan, this will alter the asteroid's motion so that ground-based telescopes can accurately measure any changes.DART is the world's first planetary defense test mission.
DART will reach its target on September 26, 2022. FYI, the Didymos asteroid system does not pose a threat to Earth.. As in any mission that launches to space, there's always concern about how the instruments will react to the violent vibrations of launch and the extreme temperature shift. NASA said that because components of DART's telescopic instrument are sensitive to movements as small as 5 millionths of a meter, even a tiny shift of something in the instrument could be very serious.
DRACO's first image, taken on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 was taken about 2 million miles from Earth – very close, astronomically speaking. The image shows about a dozen stars, crystal-clear and sharp against the black backdrop of space, near where the constellations Perseus, Aries and Taurus intersect.
Located in the constellation Auriga, the cluster of stars lies some 4,200 light years from Earth. Intentionally capturing images with many stars like M38 helps the team characterize optical imperfections in the images as well as calibrate how absolutely bright an object is – all important details for accurate measurements when the spacecraft gets closer to Didymos and DRACO starts imaging the spacecraft's final destination.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
NASA’s Anti-asteroid Dart Mission Sends Back First Images | Digital TrendsNASA's DART spacecraft which is on its way to crash into an asteroid has sent back its first images, confirming that its camera is operating well.
Lire la suite »
The Spacecraft That's Going to Smash Into an Asteroid Just Sent Back Its First PicturesThe DRACO camera is the only instrument aboard NASA's planetary-defense DART mission.
Lire la suite »
2022 preview: A round-up of the year's most exciting space missionsAround a dozen missions to the moon are scheduled in 2022, along with a rover landing on Mars and a spacecraft headed to in-vestigate the metal asteroid Psyche
Lire la suite »
Enormous asteroid twice the size of the Empire State Building to Pass Earth next weekAsteroid 496860 (1999 XL136) will rocket past our home world at a speed 30 times faster than a jet fighter during the first week of 2022.
Lire la suite »
One of the biggest asteroids of 2022 will make its close approach to Earth in JanuaryThe space rock, bigger than two Empire State buildings stacked together, will not come so close to our planet again for decades.
Lire la suite »
Danica Patrick shares photos of first Christmas with boyfriend Carter ComstockThe former NASCAR driver, who split from Aaron Rodgers in July 2020, made her relationship with the Freshly co-founder Instagram-official in April.
Lire la suite »