NASA’s space telescopes record an asteroid impact with amazing clarity

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Now the world has stunning new photos asteroid strike this weekthe first planetary defense test of its kind.

NASA on Thursday released pictures of the dramatic event taken by the Hubble and Webb space telescopes.

Hours later, SpaceX joined NASA in announcing that they were exploring sending a private mission to Hubble, potentially led by a billionaire, to increase the aging telescope’s orbit and extend its life.

Telescopes on all seven continents watched as NASA’s Dart spacecraft slammed into a harmless space rock 7 million miles (11 million kilometers) from Earth on Monday in hopes of altering its orbit.

Scientists will not know the exact changes until November; The demonstration results are expected to instill confidence in the use of the technique if a killer asteroid is headed our way one day.

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“This is an unprecedented look at an unprecedented event,” Johns Hopkins planetary astronomer and mission leader Andy Rivkin said in a statement.

All these images will help scientists learn more about the small asteroid Dimorphos, which took a hit and got a big crater as a result. From the impact, streams of stones and dirt flew into space, appearing in the latest photos as bright rays.

This twin asteroid system — the 525-foot (160-meter) Dimorphos is actually a moon around a larger asteroid — tripled in brightness after the impact, as seen in Hubble images, according to NASA.

Hubble and Webb will continue to observe Dimorphos and its large companion Didymos for the next few weeks.

The $325 million Dart mission launched last year. The spacecraft was built and operated by the Johns Hopkins Laboratory for Applied Physics in Laurel, Maryland.

As for Hubble, NASA officials stressed Thursday that the observatory, launched 32 years ago, is in good shape and could have another decade of life.

Hubble’s orbit is steadily shrinking, but the telescope could still have years to go if it were to be boosted from its current 335 miles (540 kilometers) above Earth to 375 miles (600 kilometers) or more. The six-month feasibility study will also consider the possibility of replacing any parts, presumably by the crew.

Jared Isaacman, a Pennsylvania tech entrepreneur who funded SpaceX’s own flight last year with competition winners, said the Hubble mission, if approved, would fit well into his planned series of space flights. But he did not say that he was a volunteer.

“We’re always working on crazy ideas,” NASA science mission manager Thomas Zurbuchen told reporters. “Honestly, that’s what we have to do.”