{"id":381712,"date":"2026-03-07T05:00:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T19:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=970957"},"modified":"2026-03-07T05:00:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T19:00:36","slug":"nasas-dart-mission-changed-orbit-of-asteroid-didymos-around-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=381712","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s DART Mission Changed Orbit of Asteroid Didymos Around Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-image-carousel grid-container grid-container-block padding-top-4 padding-bottom-4 hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-image-carousel\">\n<div id=\"carousel-wrapper-carousel-69ab33c26603a\" class=\"hds-carousel-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-carousel-slider margin-0\" id=\"image-carousel-slider-carousel-69ab33c26603a\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-client-id=\"carousel-69ab33c26603a\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-variation=\"carousel\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-autoplay=\"\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-autoplay-speed=\"2000\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-play-pause=\"\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-transition-type=\"slide\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-progress=\"\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-progress-labels=\"\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-start-label=\"Start\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-end-label=\"End\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-labels-initialized=\"true\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"display-block width-full\" data-label=\"\">\n<figure class=\"margin-0\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper hds-image-carousel-slide margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-licia-cube-nasa.jpg?w=1024\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"eager\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-licia-cube-nasa.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-licia-cube-nasa.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-licia-cube-nasa.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-licia-cube-nasa.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-licia-cube-nasa.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-licia-cube-nasa.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-licia-cube-nasa.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-licia-cube-nasa.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-licia-cube-nasa.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The Italian Space Agency\u2019s LICIACube traveled alongside NASA\u2019s DART to capture the spacecraft\u2019s collision with Dimorphos. In this LICIACube image, taken moments after impact on Sept. 26, 2022, rocky debris can be seen fanning out from the smaller asteroid below its larger binary partner, Didymos.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">ASI\/NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<div class=\"display-block width-full\" data-label=\"\">\n<figure class=\"margin-0\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper hds-image-carousel-slide margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"598\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-dart-pre-impact.png?w=1024\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-dart-pre-impact.png 1622w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-dart-pre-impact.png?resize=300,175 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-dart-pre-impact.png?resize=768,448 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-dart-pre-impact.png?resize=1024,598 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-dart-pre-impact.png?resize=1536,897 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-dart-pre-impact.png?resize=400,234 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-dart-pre-impact.png?resize=600,350 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-dart-pre-impact.png?resize=900,525 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-dart-pre-impact.png?resize=1200,701 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">This image of asteroids Didymos, left, and Dimorphos was captured by NASA\u2019s DART mission a few seconds before the spacecraft smashed into Dimorphos on Sept. 26, 2022. The impact on the smaller asteroid had a measurable effect on the orbit of its larger partner.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Johns Hopkins APL<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-carousel-nav display-flex margin-left-auto margin-right-0\" data-carousel-id=\"image-carousel-slider-carousel-69ab33c26603a\">\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"hds-carousel-nav-arrow hds-carousel-arrow-prev\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"9px\" height=\"9px\" viewBox=\"0 0 9 9\"><path class=\"st0\" d=\"M3.5,4.5l3.7-3.6L6.3,0L1.8,4.5L6.3,9l0.9-0.9L3.5,4.5z\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"hds-carousel-nav-arrow hds-carousel-arrow-next margin-right-0\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"9px\" height=\"9px\" viewBox=\"0 0 9 9\"><path class=\"st0\" d=\"M5.5,4.5L1.8,8.1L2.7,9l4.5-4.5L2.7,0L1.8,0.9L5.5,4.5z\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>New research reveals that when NASA\u2019s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft intentionally impacted the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in September 2022, it didn\u2019t just change the motion of Dimorphos around its larger companion, Didymos; the crash also shifted the orbit of both asteroids around the Sun. Linked together by gravity, Didymos and Dimorphos orbit each other around a shared center of mass in a configuration known as a binary system, so changes to one asteroid affect the other.<\/p>\n<p>As detailed in a study <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aea4259\" rel=\"noopener\">published <\/a>on Friday in the journal Science Advances, observations of the pair\u2019s motion revealed that the 770-day orbital period around the Sun changed by a fraction of a second after the <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/dart\/\" rel=\"noopener\">DART spacecraft\u2019s<\/a> impact on Dimorphos. That change marks the first time a human-made object has measurably altered the path of a celestial body around the Sun.<\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-fit \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e1-hubble-view-post-impact.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1860\" height=\"1257\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e1-hubble-view-post-impact.jpg?w=1860\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e1-hubble-view-post-impact.jpg 1860w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e1-hubble-view-post-impact.jpg?resize=300,203 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e1-hubble-view-post-impact.jpg?resize=768,519 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e1-hubble-view-post-impact.jpg?resize=1024,692 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e1-hubble-view-post-impact.jpg?resize=1536,1038 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e1-hubble-view-post-impact.jpg?resize=400,270 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e1-hubble-view-post-impact.jpg?resize=600,405 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e1-hubble-view-post-impact.jpg?resize=900,608 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e1-hubble-view-post-impact.jpg?resize=1200,811 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1860px) 100vw, 1860px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The Hubble Space Telescope observed two tails of dust ejected from the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system several days after NASA\u2019s DART spacecraft impacted the smaller asteroid.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA, ESA, Jian-Yang Li (PSI), Joe Depasquale (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThis is a tiny change to the orbit, but given enough time, even a tiny change can grow to a significant deflection,\u201d said Thomas Statler, lead scientist for solar system small bodies at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cThe team\u2019s amazingly precise measurement again validates kinetic impact as a technique for defending Earth against asteroid hazards and shows how a binary asteroid might be deflected by impacting just one member of the pair.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>High impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When DART struck Dimorphos, the impact blasted a huge cloud of <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/missions\/close-up-views-of-nasas-dart-impact-to-inform-planetary-defense\/\" rel=\"noopener\">rocky debris<\/a> into space, altering the shape of the asteroid, which measures 560 feet (170 meters) wide. Because the debris carried its own momentum away from the asteroid, it gave Dimorphos an explosive thrust \u2014 what scientists call the momentum enhancement factor. More debris being kicked out means more oomph. According to the new research, the momentum enhancement factor for DART\u2019s impact was about two, meaning that the debris loss doubled the punch created by the spacecraft alone.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier research showed that the smaller asteroid\u2019s 12-hour orbital period around the nearly half-mile-wide (805-meter-wide) Didymos <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/dart\/nasa-study-asteroids-orbit-shape-changed-after-dart-impact\/\">shortened by 33 minutes<\/a>. The new study shows the impact ejected so much material from the binary system that it also changed the binary\u2019s orbital period around the Sun by 0.15 seconds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe change in the binary system\u2019s orbital speed was about 11.7 microns per second, or 1.7 inches per hour,\u201d said Rahil Makadia, the study\u2019s lead author at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. \u201cOver time, such a small change in an asteroid\u2019s motion can make the difference between a hazardous object hitting or missing our planet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although Didymos was not on an impact trajectory with Earth and it was impossible for the DART mission to put it on one, that change in orbital speed underscores the role spacecraft \u2014 aka kinetic impactors in this context \u2014 could play if a potentially hazardous asteroid is found to be on a collision course in the future. The key is detecting near-Earth objects far enough in advance to send a kinetic impactor.<\/p>\n<p>To that end, NASA is building the <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/neo-surveyor\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor<\/a> mission. Managed by NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, this next-generation space survey telescope is the first to be built for planetary defense. The mission will seek out some of the hardest-to-find near-Earth objects, such as dark asteroids and comets that don\u2019t reflect much visible light.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How they did it<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>To prove DART had a detectable influence on both asteroids \u2014 not just on the smaller Dimorphos \u2014 the researchers needed to measure Didymos\u2019 orbit around the Sun to exquisite precision. So, in addition to making radar and other ground-based observations of the asteroid, they tracked stellar occultations, which occur when the asteroid passes exactly in front of a star, causing the pinpoint of light to blink out for a fraction of a second. This technique provides extremely precise measurements of the asteroid\u2019s speed, shape, and position.<\/p>\n<p>Measuring stellar occultations is challenging: Astronomers have to be in the right place at the right time with several observing stations, sometimes miles apart, to track the predicted path of the asteroid in front of a specific star. The team relied on volunteer astronomers around the globe who recorded 22 stellar occultations between October 2022 and March 2025.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen combined with years of existing ground-based observations, these stellar occultation observations became key in helping us calculate how DART had changed Didymos\u2019 orbit,\u201d said study co-lead Steve Chesley, a senior research scientist at JPL. \u201cThis work is highly weather dependent and often requires travel to remote regions with no guarantee of success. This result would not have been possible without the dedication of dozens of volunteer occultation observers around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Studying changes in Didymos\u2019 motion also helped the researchers calculate the densities of both asteroids. Dimorphos is slightly less dense than previously thought, supporting the theory that it formed from rocky debris shed by a rapidly spinning Didymos. This loose material eventually clumped together to form Dimorphos, a \u201crubble pile\u201d asteroid.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More about DART<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The DART spacecraft was designed, built, and operated by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA\u2019s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which oversees the agency\u2019s ongoing efforts in planetary defense. It was humanity\u2019s first mission to intentionally move a celestial object.<\/p>\n<p>For more information about the DART mission visit:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/dart\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/dart\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Media Contacts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ian J. O\u2019Neill<br \/>Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.<br \/>818-354-2649<br \/><a href=\"mailto:ian.j.oneill@jpl.nasa.gov\">ian.j.oneill@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Karen Fox \/ Molly Wasser<br \/>NASA Headquarters, Washington<br \/>240-285-5155 \/ 240-419-1732<br \/><a href=\"mailto:karen.c.fox@nasa.gov\">karen.c.fox@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ <a href=\"mailto:molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov\">molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p>2025-015<\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-articles\">\n<section class=\"hds-related-articles padding-x-0 padding-y-3 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n<div class=\"w-100 grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0 text-align-left\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\">\n<h2 style=\"max-width: 100%;\" class=\"width-full w-full maxw-full\">Explore More<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/science-research\/planetary-science\/planetary-defense\/near-earth-asteroids\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/psd\/planetary-defense\/2025\/English_PDCO_Thumbnail_12.4.jpg\" ><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">1 min read<\/div>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\">\n<h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Near-Earth Asteroids as of December 2025<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-md color-carbon-60\">Each month, NASA\u2019s Planetary Defense Coordination Office releases a monthly update featuring the most recent&hellip;<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t3 months ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/osiris-rex\/sugars-gum-stardust-found-in-nasas-asteroid-bennu-samples\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/orex-022.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/orex-022.jpg 2872w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/orex-022.jpg?resize=300,214 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/orex-022.jpg?resize=768,547 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/orex-022.jpg?resize=1024,729 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/orex-022.jpg?resize=1536,1094 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/orex-022.jpg?resize=2048,1459 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/orex-022.jpg?resize=400,285 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/orex-022.jpg?resize=600,427 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/orex-022.jpg?resize=900,641 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/orex-022.jpg?resize=1200,855 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/orex-022.jpg?resize=2000,1425 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">8 min read<\/div>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\">\n<h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Sugars, \u2018Gum,\u2019 Stardust Found in NASA&#8217;s Asteroid Bennu Samples<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t3 months ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/regions-on-asteroid-explored-by-nasas-lucy-mission-get-official-names\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/lucy\/Donaldjohanson%20Postcard.png\" ><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">3 min read<\/div>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\">\n<h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Regions on Asteroid Explored by NASA\u2019s Lucy Mission Get Official Names<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-md color-carbon-60\">The IAU (International Astronomical Union), a global naming authority for celestial objects, has approved official&hellip;<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t6 months ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-topic-cards nasa-gb-align-full maxw-full width-full padding-y-6 padding-x-3 color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-topic-cards\">\n<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block-lg padding-x-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-row flex-align-center margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"desktop:grid-col-8 margin-bottom-2 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"label color-carbon-60 margin-bottom-2\">Keep Exploring<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"heading-36 line-height-sm\">Discover More Topics From NASA<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-gap-2 hds-topic-cards-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/planetary-defense-dart\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Planetary Defense \u2013 DART<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">NASA\u2019s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), built and managed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) for NASA\u2019s Planetary&hellip;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/asteroids\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Asteroids<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">Introduction Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets, are rocky, airless remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system&hellip;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/psd\/solar\/internal_resources\/5264\/Asteroid_Bennu-1.jpeg\" ><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/asteroids\/didymos\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Didymos &#038; Dimorphos<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">Overview Asteroid Didymos and its small moonlet Dimorphos make up what\u2019s called a binary asteroid system \u2013 meaning the small&hellip;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/psd\/solar\/internal_resources\/5697\/Didymos_and_Dimorphos-1.jpeg\" ><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/neo-surveyor\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>NEO Surveyor<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">Overview Building on the success of NASA\u2019s NEOWISE space telescope, the agency\u2019s NEO Surveyor will be the first spacecraft built&hellip;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/neo-surveyor\/Mission_NEO_Surveyor-16x9.jpg\" ><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New research reveals that when NASA\u2019s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft intentionally impacted the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in September 2022, it didn\u2019t just change the motion of Dimorphos around its larger companion, Didymos; the crash also shifted the orbit of both asteroids around the Sun. Linked together by gravity, Didymos and Dimorphos orbit each [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16413,19799,17841,17842,16277,16278,19800],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-381712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-asteroids","category-astronomy","category-dart-double-asteroid-redirection-test","category-didymos-dimorphos","category-planetary-defense","category-planetary-defense-coordination-office","category-potentially-hazardous-asteroid-pha"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/381712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=381712"}],"version-history":[{"count":66,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/381712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":383944,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/381712\/revisions\/383944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=381712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=381712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=381712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}