Didymos Asteroid System Discovered to Spew Rocks into Space, Alarming Scientists

Tuesday, 11 April 2023 – 10:01 WIB

LIVE Techno – The Aeronautics and Space Agency or NASA is known to have a mission to save Earth from an asteroid collision. They then conducted a DART (double asteroid redirection test) test by crashing the spacecraft into the Dimorphos asteroid.

But recently scientists discovered something odd about the Dimorphos system. Its mother, Didymos, can spew rocks into space with every rotation, according to the BGR website, Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

The astronomers behind the new discovery say the asteroid is spinning so fast that the asteroid Didymos may be capable of releasing a stream of debris into surrounding space. This revelation raises new questions about the solidity of asteroids.

In general, asteroids are considered as solid bodies. While it’s known that asteroids can be made up of a ton of smaller, less dense bodies, this discovery is the first time researchers have seen an asteroid spewing rock into space.

It presents a unique perspective of the nature of an asteroid where for a long time it just looks like a bland, stagnant rock hurtling through space.

But based on the discovery that Didymos might release matter into space, scientists can learn more about the dynamic nature of these celestial bodies.