This talk is live at Willcox Hall, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY or via Zoom. The link is on the WAA web site, www.westchesterastronomers.org.

Dany Waller
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
DART Science Operations Cente

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is humanity’s first attempt to change the course of an asteroid in space, to prove our ability to defend our planet from a potentially catastrophic impact event like the Chicxulub crater in the future. But fear not - DART’s target asteroid is not a threat to Earth! DART’s target was chosen because it is part of a nearby binary system, a pair of asteroids orbiting a common point in space. DART will impact the smaller asteroid (Dimorphos) so we can observe the effect a “kinetic deflection” has by monitoring the response in the larger asteroid (Didymos). This tenacious little spacecraft will change the way we think about near-Earth asteroids and how to protect our beautiful home world!

You can become a certified Planetary Defender by taking NASA’s online quiz here [link] and learn more about the mission from DART Science Operations Center team member Dany Waller on December 9th.