![[Top] The boulder-covered moon Dimorphos as seen 8.55 seconds before the impact of the DART space craft. [Bottom] The same image after correcting for lighting conditions across the surface and shadows cast by boulders, revealing a fan-shaped pattern of streaks (highlighted in color for emphasis). Credit: NASA/JHU-APL/UMD.](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/New-NASA-DART-Mission-Data.png?resize=1200%2C722&ssl=1)
About 15% of asteroids near Earth have small moons orbiting them, making binary asteroid systems common in our cosmic neighborhood.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Panspermia, Press Release, Sample Return
