Science · 4 views
NASA smashed into an asteroid. Now Hera is closing in to see what happened
The European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft has reached an important milestone in its mission to investigate a historic asteroid collision.
Summary
The European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft has reached an important milestone in its mission to investigate a historic asteroid collision. For the first time, its onboard camera has captured the two asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos as separate objects rather than a single point of light. The asteroid pair is currently about 197 million kilometers from Earth. Hera obtained the new image on the evening of October 18 using its black-and-white Asteroid Framing Camera, while the spacecraft was approximately 1,280 kilometers from its targets.
AI summaries can be wrong sometimes—always verify important details using the source article.
How AI & Automation are usedMore from Science
Continue reading recent Science coverage
- Trial of live facial recognition technology to catch criminals is putting people's privacy to the testContinue reading
- 2 Words in an Overlooked Flight Log Reveal a Chilling Detail About The Hiroshima BombingContinue reading
- Tree shade offers critical heat relief for people experiencing unsheltered homelessnessContinue reading
- Leviathan's sprawling stars challenge idea that dusty giants become compact galaxiesContinue reading
Support HappeningNow
Independent AI-powered news analysis is reader-supported. Your contribution helps cover infrastructure, summaries, and continued platform development.
Support HappeningNow