DART Did More Than Deter Dimorphos; It Sent It Into a Chaotic Tumble

In 2022, NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft collided with an object named Dimorphos. The objective was to test redirecting hazardous asteroids by deflecting them with an impact. The test was a success, and Dimorphos was measurably affected. Follow-up research shows that Dimorphos was more than deflected; it was deformed. In recent decades, we’ve …