In a historical moment, NASA successfully led the world’s first mission in planetary defence, inviting the public to watch as one of its spacecraft attempts to deflect an asteroid — by deliberately crashing into it.

The DART spacecraft, short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket last November in a US$330-million project.

DART is essentially a test of NASA's ability to defend our planet against future asteroids and other Earth-bound debris. It deliberately slammed head-on into Dimorphos, an asteroid that measured 160 metres across, at 24,139 kilometres per hour, on Sept. 26.

Dimorphos poses no threat to Earth, NASA makes clear but offers scientists a way to measure the effectiveness of the collision.

Impact took place at 7:14 pm ET but NASA's special live broadcast began at 6 pm.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/9087636/nasa-dart-spacecraft-asteroid-deflect-how-to-watch-sept-26-2022/

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