Debris From NASA Mission Could Create The First Human-Made Meteor Shower. Here's How

A new study has suggested that the rocky debris caused by NASA's (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission may have resulted in the first human-made meteor shower. In 2022, NASA DART spacecraft intentionally slammed into a tiny asteroid to test whether such an impact could change the orbit of an asteroid in case it poses a threat to Earth. The collision between the asteroid Dimorphos and DART spacecraft generated a massive debris field, estimated to be around 2 million pounds (nearly 1 million kilograms) of rocks and dust. 

According to a study by Cornell University, fragments from the collision could potentially reach Earth and Mars within the next 10 to 30 years. Researcher Eloy Pena Asensio from Italy's Polytechnic University of Milan noted that these particles could produce visible meteors as they penetrate the Martian atmosphere. These meteor showers could last for up to a century.

''Once the first particles reach Mars or Earth, they could continue to arrive intermittently and periodically for at least the next 100 years, which is the duration of our calculations,'' Mr Pena told CNN.

While the particles will be visible, they are expected to be relatively small, ranging from grain-sized to smartphone-sized and pose no threat to Earth's surface.

''If these ejected Dimorphos fragments reach Earth, they will not pose any risk. Their small size and high speed will cause them to disintegrate in the atmosphere, creating a beautiful luminous streak in the sky,'' Mr Pena told Universe Today.

Notably, scientists made this prediction using data from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Light Italian Cubesat for Imaging of Asteroids or LICIACube which accompanied DART in its journey. By analysing images captured by LICIACube, researchers simulated the trajectories and velocities of approximately three million fragments ejected during the DART spacecraft's intentional collision with the asteroid Dimorphos. 

About DART Mission:

Two years ago, NASA's DART mission embarked on a groundbreaking quest to test Earth's planetary defence systems by deflecting an asteroid.  The mission was devised to determine whether a spacecraft is capable of changing the trajectory of an asteroid through sheer kinetic force, nudging it off course just enough to keep our planet out of harm's way.

The September 2022 mission was a resounding success, achieving its primary objective. By intentionally colliding with Dimorphos, the DART spacecraft not only altered the asteroid's trajectory, shortening its orbital period around its partner asteroid Didymos by a remarkable 30 minutes, but also reshaped the asteroid's very form.