Investigating ejecta plume and tail of (65803) Didymos binary system

• DOI: 10.5194/epsc2024-975
• Publication Date: 2024-07-03T11:09:04Z
• Authors: Elisabeta Petrescu; Özgur Karatekin; Detlef Koschny; Emmanuel Jëhin; Mathieu Vander Do...; Grégoire Henry; Marin Ferrais; Marco Micheli; Dora Föhring; Luca Conversi; Toni Santana-Ros; Jérôme Berthier; Alan Koltz; Pierre Thierry; Frédéric Vachier

The NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft was the first Planetary Defence mission to hit an asteroid, specifically moon of Didymos, Dimorphos [1]. This impact altered Dimorphos's orbital parameters and excavating significant amount material. resultant observed through limited ground-based telescopes, for several months after impact, asteroid became man-made active exhibiting mass loss that manifested as a tail, which changed over time [2].The measurements presented here derive from unique set photometric data obtained ground covering period before, during between August 2022 January 2023. taken in collaboration with ESA at Les Makes Observatory (La Réunion) [3], excellently located observe contains more than 8500 images multiple before impact. Another comes TRAPPIST telescopes network [4], two 0.6-m twin Morocco Chile. TRAPPIST, contain almost 14 000 images, spanning months. were different filters, colour gave us information about also dust composition ejecta tail. Here, we present observations, their analysis preliminary results on evolution plume long-lasting tail.AcknowledgementThis research is funded by University Liège takes place under COMETA team, made possible project Belgian Fonds (National) de la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S.-FNRS) grant T.0120.21 support Royal Belgium, Observatory, European Space Agency. Özgur Karateking, acknowledges Union’s Horizon 2020 innovation program, NEO-MAPP (grant: 870377) well funding PRODEX program managed Agency (ESA) help Science Policy Office (BELSPO). Reference[1] Nancy L. Chabot et al (including Petrescu E.), PSJ 5:49 (24pp), 2024 February 2024;[2] Nicholas Moskovitz Planet. Sci. J. 5 35;[3] https://www.observatoiredesmakes.com/[4] Jehin E. al, Messenger, vol. 145, p. 2-6, 2