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Hera Spacecraft Peeks at Asteroid Moonlet

Sky & Telescope · By Emily Lakdawalla ·

Hera Spacecraft Peeks at Asteroid Moonlet

The Brief · written from 2 sources

  • ESA's Hera spacecraft is visiting the Dimorphos-Didymos asteroid system.
  • The mission is examining the aftermath of NASA's 2022 DART impact.
  • Hera is taking a close look at the asteroid's moonlet.

Why it matters

Hera's close-up survey of the impact site gives planetary scientists direct data on how a kinetic impactor changed a binary asteroid, which informs future planetary defense planning.

Who’s affected

  • planetary scientists
  • planetary defense researchers

Europe's Hera spacecraft is visiting the Dimorphos-Didymos asteroid system to take a close look at the aftermath of NASA's impact in 2022. The post Hera Spacecraft Peeks at Asteroid Moonlet appeared first on Sky & Telescope .

Read the full story at skyandtelescope.org ↗

Timeline

  1. NASA's DART spacecraft impacts Dimorphos

  2. Hera spacecraft arrives at the Dimorphos-Didymos system and examines the impact site and moonlet

  3. The Planetary Society Articles

    Legacies and impacts

  4. Astronomy News & Astronomical Events | Sky & Telescope

    Hera Spacecraft Peeks at Asteroid Moonlet

Full coverage · 2 sources

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    Hera Spacecraft Peeks at Asteroid Moonlet – The Morning Science