The first images that show the moment Nasa’s Dart spacecraft crashed into an asteroid have been released.
The collision on Tuesday was part of a planetary defence test by the US space agency, and the asteroid posed no threat to Earth.
Nasa’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) spacecraft targeted a binary asteroid system and smashed into a 160-metre-wide “moonlet” Dimorphos — which orbits larger asteroid Didymos — to see if it could shift it slightly off course.
Viewers across the world could watch from a camera at the front of the spacecraft as it crashed into the asteroid at a speed of 24,000km an hour — fast enough to travel from New York to Paris in 15 minutes.
But now new images show the collision from another perspective, helping reveal the drama that followed the impact.
The pictures were captured by Italian Space Agency’s LiciaCube, a small cube satellite that was released by the Dart spacecraft on September 11.
“Here are the pictures taken by LiciaCube of the world’s first planetary defence mission,” tweeted Argotec Space, a private company that built the satellite for the Italian Space Agency.
“This is exactly where the Nasa’s Dart mission ended. An incredible emotion, the beginning of new discoveries.”
The images show large amounts of material flying from Dimorphos’s surface after the impact.
They also show the asteroid approaching its larger companion Didymos.
The Italian Space Agency said its tiny satellite captured several images and these are the first ones to be released.
Scientists will now study the impact of the collision in greater detail to understand whether the binary asteroid system was successfully shifted off course.
The test has shown that a spacecraft can autonomously navigate to a target asteroid and intentionally collide with it ― a method of deflection called kinetic impact.
Pathaan
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Nope'
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m
Winner: Lady Parma, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m
Winner: Tabernas, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash.
2.45pm: Handicap Dh95,000 1,200m
Winner: Night Castle, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,400m
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Mutawakked, Szczepan Mazur, Musabah Al Muhairi.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Tafaakhor, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Cranesbill, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
