The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera mission has obtained the first images in which the two asteroids, Didymos and Dimorphos, can be distinguished separately. The image, captured on 18 October from a distance of approximately 1,280 kilometres, shows the small Dimorphos as a bright spot next to the main asteroid, Didymos.
Hera is approaching the system to study at close quarters the consequences of the impact by NASA’s DART probe, which struck Dimorphos in September 2022, altering its orbital period by approximately 33 minutes. The observations will help to better understand the effects of the collision, as part of studies on planetary defence.
INAF-IAPS is also participating in the mission, with Ernesto Palomba serving as principal investigator for the Vista instrument, which is dedicated to the study of dust and is installed on board the Milani CubeSat. The first detailed images of Dimorphos will be released by ESA on 25 November.