They confirm that the DART probe crash has altered the asteroid orbit.

2022/10/14 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astrofisika
• Astronomia

According to the analysis of the data obtained during the two weeks after the DART probe crash, the mission has met its objective of modifying the orbit of the asteroid Dimorphos due to the impact. So NASA has shown that humanity has an intentional asteroid diversion technology, so we're safer against dangerous asteroids.

Before the crash, it took Dimorphos 11 hours and 55 minutes to orbit the asteroid Didymos. Astronomers have subsequently used land telescopes to measure the variation in orbit time and have announced that it has been reduced by 32 minutes. It is also specified that this measurement has an error interval of about 2 minutes. However, it has exceeded NASA's minimum forecast to change in at least 73 seconds and 25 times more than that change.

It is now being investigated how the rocks that emerged in the shock affected the orbit modification. In four years' time, the European HERA project aims to investigate the asteroid itself and the crater produced.