In a groundbreaking planetary defense test in 2022, NASA’s DART spacecraft captured high-resolution images of the asteroid Dimorphos and its larger companion Didymos before impacting Dimorphos.
These images provided valuable insights into the history of these two celestial bodies near Earth and shed light on the formation of binary asteroid systems.
Studies revealed that Didymos likely formed about 12.5 million years ago in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter before being pushed into the inner solar system. Dimorphos, on the other hand, formed approximately 300,000 years ago.
Both asteroids are believed to be aggregates of rocky fragments from a parent asteroid that was catastrophically destroyed. The surfaces of these rubble pile asteroids are covered with boulders, with Dimorphos and Didymos hosting large boulders indicating their shared origins.
The weak surfaces of both asteroids suggest that they are composed of material that was once part of a parent body. Dimorphos likely originated from the equatorial region of Didymos due to the latter’s rapid rotation in the past.
The DART mission successfully changed the path of Dimorphos through a kinetic impact, showcasing the potential of planetary defense strategies. This mission helped improve our understanding of binary asteroid systems and how asteroids evolve in near-Earth space.
Overall, studying these complex asteroid systems provides valuable insights into the formation and behavior of asteroids in our solar system.
By Will Dunham
