Hubble picks up dust ‘tails’ ejected from an asteroid after testing; understand

Published 10/20/2022 19:42

In the data documented by the Hubble telescope, it is possible to see types of “tails” leaving the asteroid – (credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, Jian-Yang Li (PSI); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale)

On Thursday (10/20), the American Space Agency (NASA) revealed images of a debris track from a harmless asteroid. The released images show that two jets, almost like two “tails” appeared after a test collision.

On September 26, NASA began a series of tests on asteroids for planetary defense. One of these tests involved a collision with an asteroid system Didymus Demorphos to try to change its orbit.

Testing of the system, according to agency data, shortened its original orbit of 11 hours 55 minutes by about 32 minutes. The experiment, according to NASA, left its mark. In the data documented by the Hubble telescope, it is possible to see types of “tails” leaving the asteroid in the image.

“The twin tail is an unexpected development, although similar behavior is common in active comets and asteroids,” NASA explained in a statement.

Experts also note that one of the “tails” formed before the other and that the second would have formed a little more than a week after the collision, between October 2 and 8.

Also, according to the statement, scientists will take a closer look at the Hubble data to understand the appearance of the second “tail”.

the new #DARTMission Picture just dropped!

Last month , Tweet embed A spacecraft has collided with a non-threatening asteroid in a test of planetary defense.

This new Hubble image shows a surprising update – two tails of dust emerging from the impacted asteroid system: https://t.co/kRZ3XAvJlE pic.twitter.com/MfUCWy2REX

– Hubble (@NASAHubble) October 20 2022

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