"The momentum enhancement factor for DART's impact was about two, meaning that the debris loss doubled the punch created by the spacecraft alone. The new study shows the impact ejected so much material from the binary system that it also changed the binary's orbital period around the Sun by 0.15 seconds."
"The change in the binary system's orbital speed was about 11.7 microns per second, or 1.7 inches per hour. Over time, such a small change in an asteroid's motion can make the difference between a hazardous object hitting or missing our planet."
NASA's 2022 Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) successfully impacted Dimorphos, a 170-meter asteroid orbiting the larger Didymos. The collision moved Dimorphos closer to Didymos and reduced its orbital duration. Analysis published in Science Advances revealed the impact ejected substantial material, creating a momentum enhancement factor of two—meaning debris loss doubled the spacecraft's direct impact. The collision changed the binary system's orbital period around the Sun by 0.15 seconds and altered orbital speed by 11.7 microns per second. Hubble observations identified 37 boulders orbiting Dimorphos post-impact. These findings demonstrate that small velocity changes, accumulated over time, could determine whether hazardous asteroids hit or miss Earth.
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