The Webb and Hubble telescopes simultaneously photographed DART’s impact with the asteroid Dimorphos

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The combined observations of the two space telescopes, which are a collaboration between the US (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA), will allow scientists to gain more knowledge about the nature of Dimorph’s surface

The two large space telescopes, the newest James Webb and the older Hubblefor the first time pointed their cameras at the same time and photographed the same celestial target: the successful impact of the American DART spacecraft on the small asteroid beautiful, last Monday night. Which was the first test of planetary defenses for the future event that a larger space rock threatens Earth and needs to be diverted.

The combined observations of the two space telescopes, which are a collaboration between the US (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA), will allow scientists to gain more knowledge about the nature of the surface of Dimorphos (160 meters in diameter), which is a satellite of the larger asteroid Gemini (780 meters), how much material was ejected into space during the impact and how fast.

To be investigated is, among other things, whether larger pieces of the Dimorph besides fine dust particles were thrown away by the impact. All this information will help to draw conclusions on how effectively such an impact is able to modify the orbit of an asteroid.

Webb made one observation before the impact and several after it, with more to come in the coming months. So far Webb’s observations (with its near-infrared camera) include ten images and span more than five hours in total.

Hubble, for its part, made observations with its camera in the visible part of the spectrum, also before the impact, during it, and again 15 minutes after it. In total it took 45 images, with more observations to follow over the next three weeks.

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