Boom! In a scene straight out of a Bruce Willis movie, NASA attempted to blow up an asteroid last night, and good news is, it was a success!
Ok, so “blow up an asteroid” may be a little strong, they did slam into an asteroid to try and slow it down and alter it’s course.
It’s the first test of what NASA hopes can be a defense against future asteroids that might be on a collision course with Earth.
So last night, the unmanned DART spacecraft – that’s ‘Double Asteroid Redirection Test’ – slammed into the 52-foot asteroid Dimorphos at a speed of 14,000 miles per hour. The asteroid was the size of a football field.
Most of the time, these ancient rocks pose no danger to Earth, including Dimorphos, the one NASA just used for target practice…BUT at least three have caused mass extinctions, the most infamous of which wiped out the dinosaurs.
The moment marked the first time in history humans have attempted to alter the path of an asteroid, and I am happy to report it was successful!
9-27-22
