NASA expects the impact of the DART unmanned probe against the Dimorphic asteroid today.
With this collision, the aim is to stop or divert the course of any fireball that crosses space and approaches the Earth in a threatening way.
The impact will be seen live thanks to a camera that accompanies the probe and that will record the collision up to two seconds before the impact.
The DART mission, which stands for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, will show whether there is any chance of protecting the planet against these celestial bodies.
Didymus is one of the few binary asteroids that are catalogued.
He is accompanied by a satellite, Dimorfo.
This one, which barely measures 100 meters in diameter, is the one that will receive the impact of the DART probe at a speed of 6.5 kilometers per hour.
If the test succeeds, it will slow down by half a millimeter per second and throw its orbit off course.
More information
Guide to follow the impact of the DART probe against the Dimorphic asteroid
Didymus and Dimorph are not a real planetary threat.
These celestial bodies are 11 million kilometers away and are not heading towards Earth.
But their size and distance make them perfect for this experiment.
According to the mission coordinator, Nancy Chabot: "95% of asteroids and meteorites are not a threat to Earth."
The impact against the satellite will occur around midnight.
At that time, the camera will capture the last images against the two asteroids before crashing.
Although the probe and the natural satellites are so small that the impact against Dimorph may not be visible.
You can follow the event in this direct from EL PAÍS at 11:45 p.m. Spanish peninsular time and at 6:45 p.m. Mexico City time.
