The Dragon camera on board the probe will continue to take a picture of the asteroid every 5 hours for the remaining days before the collision date, in order to determine the most accurate path in order to collide with the asteroid moon in the exact place that will affect its orbit
Since the start of its journey, which was launched in November 2021, the "Dual Asteroid Departure Test - Dart" (DART) probe is heading towards the 163-meter-diameter moon "Demorphos", which orbits the 780-meter-diameter asteroid "Didaimos".
The "Dart" probe was able to take a picture of the asteroid "Didaimos" for the first time last July from a distance of 32 million kilometers, and it is approaching it day after day.
The "Dragon" camera on board the probe will continue to take a picture of the asteroid every 5 hours over the remaining days before the collision date, in order to determine the most accurate path in order to collide with the asteroid moon in the exact place that will affect its orbit, as the asteroid will reach its lowest distance from Earth on the fifth of next October at a distance of 10.66 million km.
The law of universal gravitation distorts the path of the asteroid
The mission entrusted to this probe is to collide with the moon "Demorphos", perhaps deviating it even a little from its orbit around its asteroid Father "Didaimos". Asteroids approaching in its orbit with the Earth, which poses a threat to it.
The idea of all this task is based on the principle of Newton’s general law of gravitation, which states that “every two bodies attract each other with a force that is directly proportional to their mass and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.” Changing the distance of the moon asteroid from the parent asteroid, even if it was slightly due to the collision, will lead to a change in the center of mass Between them, and with it, the direction of the original asteroid's path will deviate.
Collision photography is an irreplaceable opportunity
It is noteworthy that the collision date will be on Monday, September 26, at 23:14 UTC, at dawn on Tuesday, September 27, at 02:14 Mecca time.
Astrophotography enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the event, as it is likely that they will be able to photograph the flash that will be left by the collision at that moment, a challenge that awaits photographers who will search for a clear and pure sky to get that shot that will be the result of the installation of a large number of consecutive and digitally processed images that will be Captured from behind the lenses of telescopes whose mirrors are at least 20 centimeters in diameter.
Where is the event seen?
The location of the collision in the constellation River will be below Orion in the southern hemisphere, making it difficult to photograph for residents of northern latitudes.
As for the countries located below the 25 north latitude, they will be able - if the sky is clear and the capabilities are available - to monitor this event, and some Arab countries will have this opportunity, as astronomers will work to take a picture of the collision that will shine for a short period after the light reaches the Earth through Professional astronomical imaging technology, and dozens and perhaps hundreds of photos will be taken that will be combined together to produce one final image free from light pollution and from all negative effects of the camera on the one hand and the Earth's atmosphere on the other.
And because the speed of light is limited - although it is the maximum speed in the universe (300,000 kilometers per second) - the beam of light resulting from the collision will take 45 seconds after the moment of collision to reach Earth, the distance between the Earth and the asteroid is equivalent to 15 million kilometers, or 0.1 astronomical units (The distance between the Earth and the Sun).
To follow the events of this collision, NASA will provide a channel for live broadcasting through ground telescopes that will monitor this collision and photograph it for the public on the channel.
In Qatar and some Arab countries, photography enthusiasts will take pictures of the event at dawn on September 27, through professional cameras mounted on the lenses of a group of computerized telescopes that follow the movement of the stars.
New meteor shower
Since this collision will occur close to the Earth's orbit around the sun, it is likely that its dust will spread in space to intersect in the future with the Earth as it revolves around the sun, generating a new meteor shower whose filaments of light are seen shining in the Earth's sky on the same day every year.
And because it will be a new meteor shower, it is likely that its meteors will be bright and distinctive, and it is too early to give a name to it, as this is related to the background of the stars that you will see entering us from.
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