The day was 24 November 2021 when NASA launched the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. This was the first attempt to divert the trajectory of a celestial object. The main motive of DART was Dimorphos. Dimorphos is a moonlet asteroid that orbits a larger parent asteroid known as Didymos.
DART successfully collided with Dimorphos on September 26, 2022, causing it to change its orbit around Didymos. This collision created a large cloud of debris. This debris is now safely monitored by astronomers, who are expecting that it will soon create a meteor shower.
Definition of Meteor Shower
A meteor shower is an event in which many meteors appear to spread out from a single point in the sky. These meteors are pieces of debris that are entering the Earth’s atmosphere. When these pieces of debris burn up, they create the bright trajectories of light that we see as meteors.
This is how the Meteor Shower will look like
If a Meteor Shower occurs due to Nasa’s DART mission it would likely be a very light shower. This is because the debris cloud created by DART’s impact is relatively small. Nevertheless, even a faint meteor shower can be a beautiful sight.
Also Read: Solar Storms: Nature’s Powerful and Disruptive Phenomena
How could DART create a meteor shower?
The debris cloud created by DART’s impact on Dimorphos could eventually enter the Earth’s atmosphere. If this happens, it could make a meteor shower. It is important to note that this is just a possibility. There is no guarantee that a meteor shower will occur.
When could a meteor shower occur?
If a meteor shower occurs, it is expected to happen in the next few years. But, it is difficult to predict exactly when it will happen. Also, there is no danger from a meteor shower from DART. The debris pieces that would create the meteor shower are very small. They would pose no threat to people or property.
Conclusion
The DART mission was a significant event as it marked the first time humans deliberately altered the trajectory of a celestial object in space. The collision caused a debris cloud, which may lead to a meteor shower, although there is no guarantee that this will occur. However, there is no danger from a meteor shower resulting from the DART mission.
FAQs
Q1. Was the DART mission a success?
And: It was a rousing success. Before the crash of the DART spacecraft, scientists knew little about asteroid’s size and composition.
Q2. Who launched the DART mission?
Ans: It was a joint project between NASA and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Q3. Why did DART hit the asteroid?
Ans: It wanted to test whether a spacecraft crashing into an asteroid would be able to alter the asteroid’s trajectory.
