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Science Made Simple · Today · 1 min

Hera Sees Two Asteroids: One Dot Becomes Two | Science Made Simple

Discover how ESA's Hera spacecraft saw the Didymos and Dimorphos asteroids as two separate objects for the first time. Learn why the pair previously looked like a single dot, how the 18 October image from about 1,280 km revealed tiny Dimorphos, and how NASA's 2022 DART impact shortened Dimorphos's orbit by about 33 minutes — and why Hera's close-up study matters for planetary defence. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/science-made-simple--6610397/support.

0:00-1:08

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show notes

Discover how ESA's Hera spacecraft saw the Didymos and Dimorphos asteroids as two separate objects for the first time. Learn why the pair previously looked like a single dot, how the 18 October image from about 1,280 km revealed tiny Dimorphos, and how NASA's 2022 DART impact shortened Dimorphos's orbit by about 33 minutes — and why Hera's close-up study matters for planetary defence.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/science-made-simple--6610397/support.
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