CTIO/NOIRLab/SOAR/NSF/AURA/T. Kareta (Lowell Observatory), M. Knight (US Naval Academy)
NASA’s DART probe hit asteroid Dimorphos last week Later, telescopes in various places are still observing the follow-up effects as a reference for defending the earth in this way in the future. Among them, the Southern Astrophysical Research (SoAR) telescope in Chile captured the image above, showing that the impacted Dimorphos left a “tail” 10,000 kilometers long.
This tail is actually not entirely produced by the impact, but the result of the material thrown by the DART impact being blown by the solar wind, which is somewhat similar to the principle of a comet. So astronomers estimate that the tail will only grow longer with time, until it fades to the point of being invisible. Of course, this photo is not just for viewing. Astronomers hope to finally determine the size of the particles thrown out after the DART impact (whether it is a large rock or a powder), as well as the speed and total amount of material thrown out. This information will give scientists a better understanding of how large an impactor will be needed to hit an asteroid in the future, and whether the crushed rock will cause secondary damage.