NASA’s Double Asteroids Redirect Test (DART) mission, which famously crashed into the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos two years ago, might create a unique human-made meteor shower. Originally, the mission aimed to test if humanity could deflect an asteroid, but it has also changed Dimorphos’s shape and could now lead to an unusual celestial event.
Impact of the DART Mission
In September 2022, the DART spacecraft deliberately collided with Dimorphos to see if it could alter its course. Shantanu Naidu from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory noted, “The entire shape of the asteroid has changed, from a relatively symmetrical object to a ‘triaxial ellipsoid’ — something more like an oblong watermelon.”
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Potential Meteor Shower
Recent research suggests the debris from the collision could form a human-made meteor shower. According to a Cornell University study from August, this debris might eventually orbit Earth and Mars in the next 10 to 30 years. The debris could continue to fall for up to 100 years, creating a meteor shower that could be visible from Earth.
Eloy Peña Asensio, a researcher from Italy’s Polytechnic University of Milan, explained, “Once the first particles reach Mars or Earth, they could continue to arrive intermittently and periodically for at least the next 100 years, which is the duration of our calculations.” He added that the debris could produce meteors, or shooting stars, as it enters the Martian atmosphere.
Safety and Visibility
Despite the excitement, the debris poses no significant threat to Earth. The fragments are expected to be small, ranging from grains to the size of smartphones. While some particles might reach Earth, others will likely land on Mars.
If Earth-bound debris does occur, it would not coincide with known meteor showers and would be slow-moving. The peak of this meteor shower would likely be in May and be primarily visible from the southern hemisphere, appearing to originate near the Indus constellation.
NASA’s DART mission not only showcased our ability to defend Earth from asteroids but also set the stage for a potential new type of meteor shower, blending space science with intriguing possibilities for the future.
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