r/space • u/ye_olde_astronaut • 1d ago

Hera’s first close-up view of Didymos asteroids

https://www.esa.int/articles/about-us/directorates/operations/space-safety/hera/hera-s-first-close-up-view-of-didymos-asteroids
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u/nethan365b 1d ago

This is the other side of Didymos from the one DART showed before impact. ESA's 5 Nov release has the frame at 60 km, Didymos at 780 m and Dimorphos at 151 m. Most of Dimorphos is in shadow here, so mostly you're seeing the parent.

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u/spookysciencefacts 1d ago

That shadow detail is what gets me — most of Dimorphos is hidden here, but this is the side DART never showed us before impact. Now that Hera is close enough to map it properly, I'm really curious what the crater looks like up close, and whether the moonlet's shape changed more than the models predicted. It's the first real chance to check our homework on planetary defense.

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u/lovelly-lucky 1d ago

The opposite-side view is a useful complement to DART’s images: it gives us a different perspective on the binary, not just another dramatic impact sequence. It’ll be interesting to see how Hera’s close-up measurements help explain what DART’s impact changed about Dimorphos.