Latest news with #TonyFarnham
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Giant space 'boulders' unleashed by NASA's DART mission aren't behaving as expected, revealing hidden risks of deflecting asteroids
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Three years ago, NASA made history by deliberately smashing a spacecraft into a large asteroid, altering its course and demonstrating humankind's ability to protect our planet from "potentially hazardous" space rocks in the future. But a new analysis hints that the debris from this monumental collision is not behaving as expected, raising doubts about the success of future asteroid-deflecting missions. On Sept. 26, 2022, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft purposefully collided with the asteroid Dimorphos, crashing directly into the middle of the space rock at around 15,000 mph (24,000 km/h). The mission was a smashing success: Not only did DART alter Dimorphos' trajectory — shortening its trip around its partner asteroid Didymos by around 30 minutes — it also completely changed the shape of the asteroid. The collision, which occurred more than 7 million miles (11 million kilometers) from Earth, demonstrated that this type of action, known as the "kinetic impactor" method, was a conceivably viable option for protecting our planet from potentially hazardous asteroids. However, a new study, published July 4 in The Planetary Science Journal, has revealed a hidden complication: Dozens of large "boulders," which were knocked loose from the asteroid by the spacecraft are apparently traveling with greater momentum than predicted and have configured into surprisingly non-random patterns. Related: Could scientists stop a 'planet killer' asteroid from hitting Earth? The researchers analyzed images from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Light Italian Cubesat for Imaging of Asteroids (LICIACube), which flew alongside DART to monitor the collision. This allowed them to track 104 boulders — each between 0.7 and 11.8 feet (0.2 to 3.6 meters) across — as they shot away from the asteroid. The big takeaway was that these boulders had around three times more momentum than predicted, likely as the result of "an additional kick" the boulders received as they were pushed away from the asteroid's surface, study lead author Tony Farnham, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, said in a statement. "That additional factor changes the physics we need to consider when planning these types of missions," he added. The team also noted that the boulders were arranged into unexpected patterns: "We saw that the boulders weren't scattered randomly in space," Farnham said. "Instead, they were clustered in two pretty distinct groups, with an absence of material elsewhere, which means that something unknown is at work here." The researchers want to learn more about what happened so that we have all the necessary information at hand if and when we need to make decisions about using a kinetic impactor to protect our planet from an incoming space rock in the future. "If an asteroid was tumbling toward us, and we knew we had to move it a specific amount to prevent it from hitting Earth, then all these subtleties become very, very important," study co-author Jessica Sunshine, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, said in the statement. "You can think of it as a cosmic pool game," she added. "We might miss the pocket if we don't consider all the variables." This is not the first time scientists have noticed something unexpected about the fallout from the DART mission. In April 2024, researchers noted that some of the largest boulders might have been set on a collision course with Mars and could smash into the Red Planet in around 6,000 years, potentially endangering any future human colonies that may live there. In August last year, simulations using LICIACube data also suggested that some of the smaller fragments from the asteroid could hit Earth in around 30 years, potentially triggering a spectacular meteor shower without posing a real threat to our planet. However, despite all these uncertainties, the kinetic impactor method is still the most viable option to protect ourselves from any real threat of being hit by an asteroid. RELATED STORIES —'City killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 could shower Earth with 'bullet-like' meteors if it hits the moon in 2032 —An 'invisible threat': Swarm of hidden 'city killer' asteroids around Venus could one day collide with Earth, simulations show —'God of Chaos' asteroid Apophis could still hit Earth in 2029, study hints — but we won't know for 3 more years This topic was discussed earlier this year when the "city killer" asteroid 2024 YR4 was temporarily believed to have a roughly 3% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. The odds of a collision are now zero, but experts are keen to keep the conversation going, especially as the severe cuts to NASA's budget proposed by the Trump administration could limit our ability to spot dangerous space rocks. Researchers will get a better idea of what is happening with the Dimorphos debris next year, when ESA's Hera spacecraft arrives at the asteroid to properly study the fallout from the DART collision.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Dozens of BOULDERS now flying through space at high speed after Nasa test to shield Earth from asteroid smash goes wrong
THERE may be a flaw in Nasa's only defence against Earth-shattering asteroids, according to new analysis. In 2022 , the US space agency showed for the first time that Earth could indeed shield itself and mankind from "potentially hazardous" space rocks. 3 The spacecraft rammed into the middle of the more than 500ft asteroid at around 15,000 mph (24,000 km/h), around 7million miles away from Earth Credit: NASA 3 The mission was declared a success, as it altered Dimorphos' trajectory, but it also completely changed the shape of the asteroid Credit: NASA The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft intentionally collided with the asteroid Dimorphos, to knock it off its course. The spacecraft rammed into the middle of the more than 500ft asteroid at around 15,000 mph (24,000 km/h) , around 7million miles away from Earth. The mission was declared a success, as it altered Dimorphos ' trajectory, but it also completely changed the shape of the asteroid. But in doing so, chunks of debris were knocked loose from the asteroid by the impact. READ MORE ON SPACE Now, there are d ozens of large " boulders " traveling in space with even greater momentum than predicted, a new study, published in , has cautioned. The study raises doubts about the success of future asteroid-deflecting missions. Analysing images captured by the European Space Agency 's LICIACube satellite during DART, researchers were able track 104 boulders as they shot away from the asteroid. Each hunk of celestial debris measured between 0.7 and 11.8 feet (0.2 to 3.6 meters) across . Most read in Science They are moving with around three times more momentum than predicted, which is could be the result of "an additional kick" the boulders received as they were pushed away from the asteroid's surface, study lead author Tony Farnham , an astronomer at the University of Maryland, said in a . "That additional factor changes the physics we need to consider when planning these types of missions," he added. Terrifying video reveals what the impact of city-killer asteroid 2024YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 might look like The team also noted that the boulders were arranged into unusual patterns. "We saw that the boulders weren't scattered randomly in space," Farnham said. "Instead, they were clustered in two pretty distinct groups, with an absence of material elsewhere, which means that something unknown is at work here." To avoid any future asteroid doom, researchers must consider all the data - no matter how seemingly insignificant it seems. "If an asteroid was tumbling toward us, and we knew we had to move it a specific amount to prevent it from hitting Earth, then all these subtleties become very, very important," study co-author Jessica Sunshine , an astronomer at the University of Maryland, said in the statement. "You can think of it as a cosmic pool game. We might miss the pocket if we don't consider all the variables." This is not the first time scientists have noticed something unexpected about the fallout from the DART mission. In April 2024, researchers noted that some of the largest boulders might have been set on a collision course with Mars. The debris could smash into the Red Planet in around 6,000 years, which may endanger any future human colonies living there - if Elon Musk gets his way. Simulations based on LICIACube data also suggested that some of the smaller asteroid fragments could hit Earth in around 30 years. Although these pose no threat to our planet, and might instead trigger an epic meteor shower. However, despite all these uncertainties, smashing a spacecraft into an asteroid is still humanity's most viable option to protect ourselves from any real asteroid threat. 3 To avoid any future asteroid doom, researchers must consider all the data - no matter how seemingly insignificant it seems Credit: NASA
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Dozens of BOULDERS now flying through space at high speed after Nasa test to shield Earth from asteroid smash goes wrong
In April 2024, researchers noted that some of the largest boulders might have been set on a collision course with Mars ROCKY HORROR Dozens of BOULDERS now flying through space at high speed after Nasa test to shield Earth from asteroid smash goes wrong Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THERE may be a flaw in Nasa's only defence against Earth-shattering asteroids, according to new analysis. In 2022, the US space agency showed for the first time that Earth could indeed shield itself and mankind from "potentially hazardous" space rocks. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The spacecraft rammed into the middle of the more than 500ft asteroid at around 15,000 mph (24,000 km/h), around 7million miles away from Earth Credit: NASA 3 The mission was declared a success, as it altered Dimorphos' trajectory, but it also completely changed the shape of the asteroid Credit: NASA The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft intentionally collided with the asteroid Dimorphos, to knock it off its course. The spacecraft rammed into the middle of the more than 500ft asteroid at around 15,000 mph (24,000 km/h), around 7million miles away from Earth. The mission was declared a success, as it altered Dimorphos' trajectory, but it also completely changed the shape of the asteroid. But in doing so, chunks of debris were knocked loose from the asteroid by the impact. Now, there are dozens of large "boulders" traveling in space with even greater momentum than predicted, a new study, published in The Planetary Science Journal, has cautioned. The study raises doubts about the success of future asteroid-deflecting missions. Analysing images captured by the European Space Agency's LICIACube satellite during DART, researchers were able track 104 boulders as they shot away from the asteroid. Each hunk of celestial debris measured between 0.7 and 11.8 feet (0.2 to 3.6 meters) across. They are moving with around three times more momentum than predicted, which is could be the result of "an additional kick" the boulders received as they were pushed away from the asteroid's surface, study lead author Tony Farnham, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, said in a statement. "That additional factor changes the physics we need to consider when planning these types of missions," he added. Terrifying video reveals what the impact of city-killer asteroid 2024YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 might look like The team also noted that the boulders were arranged into unusual patterns. "We saw that the boulders weren't scattered randomly in space," Farnham said. "Instead, they were clustered in two pretty distinct groups, with an absence of material elsewhere, which means that something unknown is at work here." To avoid any future asteroid doom, researchers must consider all the data - no matter how seemingly insignificant it seems. "If an asteroid was tumbling toward us, and we knew we had to move it a specific amount to prevent it from hitting Earth, then all these subtleties become very, very important," study co-author Jessica Sunshine, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, said in the statement. "You can think of it as a cosmic pool game. We might miss the pocket if we don't consider all the variables." This is not the first time scientists have noticed something unexpected about the fallout from the DART mission. In April 2024, researchers noted that some of the largest boulders might have been set on a collision course with Mars. The debris could smash into the Red Planet in around 6,000 years, which may endanger any future human colonies living there - if Elon Musk gets his way. Simulations based on LICIACube data also suggested that some of the smaller asteroid fragments could hit Earth in around 30 years. Although these pose no threat to our planet, and might instead trigger an epic meteor shower. However, despite all these uncertainties, smashing a spacecraft into an asteroid is still humanity's most viable option to protect ourselves from any real asteroid threat.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Science
- The Sun
Dozens of BOULDERS now flying through space at high speed after Nasa test to shield Earth from asteroid smash goes wrong
THERE may be a flaw in Nasa's only defence against Earth-shattering asteroids, according to new analysis. In 2022, the US space agency showed for the first time that Earth could indeed shield itself and mankind from "potentially hazardous" space rocks. 3 The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft intentionally collided with the asteroid Dimorphos, to knock it off its course. The spacecraft rammed into the middle of the more than 500ft asteroid at around 15,000 mph (24,000 km/h), around 7million miles away from Earth. The mission was declared a success, as it altered Dimorphos' trajectory, but it also completely changed the shape of the asteroid. But in doing so, chunks of debris were knocked loose from the asteroid by the impact. Now, there are dozens of large "boulders" traveling in space with even greater momentum than predicted, a new study, published in The Planetary Science Journal, has cautioned. The study raises doubts about the success of future asteroid-deflecting missions. Analysing images captured by the European Space Agency's LICIACube satellite during DART, researchers were able track 104 boulders as they shot away from the asteroid. Each hunk of celestial debris measured between 0.7 and 11.8 feet (0.2 to 3.6 meters) across. They are moving with around three times more momentum than predicted, which is could be the result of "an additional kick" the boulders received as they were pushed away from the asteroid's surface, study lead author Tony Farnham, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, said in a statement. "That additional factor changes the physics we need to consider when planning these types of missions," he added. Terrifying video reveals what the impact of city-killer asteroid 2024YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 might look like The team also noted that the boulders were arranged into unusual patterns. "We saw that the boulders weren't scattered randomly in space," Farnham said. "Instead, they were clustered in two pretty distinct groups, with an absence of material elsewhere, which means that something unknown is at work here." To avoid any future asteroid doom, researchers must consider all the data - no matter how seemingly insignificant it seems. "If an asteroid was tumbling toward us, and we knew we had to move it a specific amount to prevent it from hitting Earth, then all these subtleties become very, very important," study co-author Jessica Sunshine, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, said in the statement. "You can think of it as a cosmic pool game. We might miss the pocket if we don't consider all the variables." This is not the first time scientists have noticed something unexpected about the fallout from the DART mission. In April 2024, researchers noted that some of the largest boulders might have been set on a collision course with Mars. The debris could smash into the Red Planet in around 6,000 years, which may endanger any future human colonies living there - if Elon Musk gets his way. Simulations based on LICIACube data also suggested that some of the smaller asteroid fragments could hit Earth in around 30 years. Although these pose no threat to our planet, and might instead trigger an epic meteor shower. However, despite all these uncertainties, smashing a spacecraft into an asteroid is still humanity's most viable option to protect ourselves from any real asteroid threat. 3
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Remember That Asteroid NASA Deflected in a Test of Saving Earth? We Have Bad News
In late 2022, NASA celebrated its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) as a massive success, a proof of concept for saving humanity in case a similar space rock were to ever head straight for Earth. The small spacecraft smashed into asteroid Didymos' moonlet Dimorphos at a violent 14,000 mph, knocking it severely off course. But three years later, astronomers found that the collision had some unintended consequences. As detailed in a paper published last week in the Planetary Science Journal, a team led by the University of Maryland found that the DART spacecraft ejected a massive barrage of boulders, some of which carried more than three times the energy of the spacecraft itself. "We succeeded in deflecting an asteroid, moving it from its orbit," said lead author and UMD research scientist Tony Farnham in a statement about the research. "Our research shows that while the direct impact of the DART spacecraft caused this change, the boulders ejected gave an additional kick that was almost as big." The researchers warn that much like a game of pool, smashing a spacecraft into an asteroid to save the Earth could set off a powerful sequence of events that needs to be taken into account. "That additional factor changes the physics we need to consider when planning these types of missions," Farnham added. Pictures taken by a tiny spacecraft called LICIACube, developed by the Italian Space Agency and which has been hanging around the impact site to assess the aftermath, allowed astronomers to track 104 boulders, which ranged anywhere from 0.6 to 11.8 feet in radius, as they hurtled away from Dimorphos. But the researchers observed something strange about the behavior of those boulders. "We saw that the boulders weren't scattered randomly in space," Farnham explained. "Instead, they were clustered in two pretty distinct groups, with an absence of material elsewhere, which means that something unknown is at work here." The team hypothesizes that "DART's solar panels likely hit two big boulders, called Atabaque and Bodhran, on the asteroid," as second author and UMD astronomy professor Jessica Sunshine explained, right before DART's main body made contact. DART "hit a surface that was rocky and full of large boulders, resulting in chaotic and filamentary structures in its ejecta patterns," Sunshine added. Fortunately, thanks to the European Space Agency's Hera mission, which is scheduled to rendezvous with the asteroid system next year, we could soon have "another direct view of the impact's aftermath," Farnham said. The astronomer and his colleagues are hoping to use the latest data to help their peers make more informed decisions when it comes to future deflection missions like DART. "If an asteroid was tumbling toward us, and we knew we had to move it a specific amount to prevent it from hitting Earth, then all these subtleties become very, very important," Sunshine explained. "You can think of it as a cosmic pool game," she added. "We might miss the pocket if we don't consider all the variables." More on DART: Debris From When NASA Smashed Asteroid Appears to Be Headed Back Toward Earth
