1. Dimorphos is 163 metres wide and orbits Didymos
2. Didymos is 780 metres across and comes within 6.8m miles of Earth’s orbit every 770 days
Original orbit
2
New orbit
1
5
3
4
3. Dart has autonomously directed itself to the Didymos system and identified Dimorphos as its target
4. LICIACube separated from Dart 10 days before the scheduled impact and will relay images to Earth
The impact at about 12.14am on Tuesday (UK time) is expected to reduce Dimorphos's orbit and nudge it closer to Didymos
Nasa’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or Dart mission, seeks to intentionally collide with an asteroid and measure its deflection
Original orbit
New orbit
2
1
Didymos is 780 metres across and comes within 6.8m miles of Earth’s orbit every 770 days
Dimorphos
is 163 metres wide and orbits Didymos
5
The impact at about 12.14am on Tuesday (UK time) is expected to reduce Dimorphos's orbit and nudge it closer to Didymos
4
3
LICIACube separated from Dart 10 days before the scheduled impact and will relay images to Earth
Dart has autonomously directed itself to the Didymos system and identified Dimorphos as its target