The collision of the artificial satellite DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) with Dimorphos and subsequent changes

**Authors:** Raguli Inasaridze, Vova Ayvazian, Vasili Zhuzhunadze**Affiliations:** Georgian National Astrophysical Observatory, Abastumani 0301, Georgia, Samtskhe-Javakheti State University, Rustaveli Street 113, Akhaltsikhe 0080, Georgia Using modern technologies, NASA has prepared a new space mission DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) to change the orbit of an asteroid, which started in 2021 and was successfully completed in September 2022. The target of the DART mission was the double asteroid (65803) Didymos and its moon Dimorphos. A spacecraft collided with the Dimorphos satellite on September 26, 2022, at 3:14 Georgia time (GMT+4). In Abastumani astrophysical observatory, by the 70-cm meniscus telescope the research group of asteroids, led by senior scientist R. Inasaridze, carried out the observations before and after the impact of the satellite to Dimorphos. The images taken during these observations clearly show the change in the brightness of Dimorphos which was caused by the ejection of dust fragments into space as a result of this collision. After the collision, the research conducted by the scientists showed that the collision between the spacecraft and the asteroid caused up to 1,000 tons of material to be ejected into space and also reduced the duration of Dimorphos's orbital rotation by 32 minutes, specifically, before the collision it was 11 hours and 55 minutes, and after it became 11 hours and 23 minutes.