A space rock the size of a vending machine is going to be slammed into by NASA.
You can see this event live.
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test is humanity's first attempt to move an asteroid. The rocky target, Dimorphos, is not a threat to Earth, but the mission is an experiment to see how civilization could alter the path of a menacing asteroid.
It is a critical mission. It may pay off someday.
"We are right now defenseless against any asteroid aiming for Earth."
"We are defenseless against any asteroid aiming for Earth at the moment," said Wilde, a professor at the Florida Institute of Technology.
The impact between DART and Dimorphos will take place some 6.8 million miles away. One image per second will be streamed back to Earth from the draco camera. It was until the impact.
The impact will be broadcast on NASA TV. On NASA's website, you can watch. You can watch on the internet. You can watch the NASA live stream below.
The live coverage starts at 6 p.m. There is an hour and a half later. At 7:14 p.m., the spaceship will hit Dimorphos. There is an hour and a half later.
You can watch the real-time feed from the DART camera without the NASA presentation or explanation on NASA Live. There is an hour and a half later.
The impact on the asteroid is going to be a small one. The goal is to show that a collision can cause a space rock to move. If it works, it will be possible for humanity to push a space rock off its course. NASA wants to show that it can slow Dimorphos' trajectory by 10 minutes.
Andrew Rivkin, one of DART's lead scientists, said that there was enough time for it to miss Earth.
Some 220,000 pounds of rock will be thrown into space by the collision. We won't be able to see this immediately. The LICIACube is a small craft that will observe both the impact and the aftermath. After the impact, that footage will arrive.
Don't forget to enjoy the show.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
