DART Probe’s Impact Crater on Dimorphos

NASA’s article on the successful crashing of a space probe into the asteroid Dimorphos mentions a follow up mission that will inspect the impact crater in four years from now. My prediction for this is that the crater will be smaller than expected.

The reason for this is that asteroids aren’t what astronomers believe them to be. They aren’t proto planets, but remnants of planets that have been blown to bits or carved up by rogue planets. Hence, the rocky and dusty surface observed doesn’t extend to the core of the asteroid, as generally believed.

Dimorphos isn’t a low mass body, easily disturbed both in its orbit and its shape. It’s a solid, high mass body with a thin cover of dust and rocks, and its cover was accumulated in the aftermath of the event that created it in the first place.

There will be little left to see of the impact crater in four years from now. It may even be completely gone due to the constant workings of solar winds.

Dimorphos – By Doug Ellison & NASA (Original) – https://twitter.com/doug_ellison/status/1574646223591481345, Public Domain, Link