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Overview:

A distant asteroid system 6.8 million miles (11 million kilometers) from Earth will be the site of NASA's first attempt at redirecting an asteroid. On September 26, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART, mission will impact the asteroid Dimorphos in an attempt to alter its speed and path around a larger asteroid known as Didymos.

Dimorphos and Didymos do not pose a threat to Earth, which makes them a good proving ground for testing whether a similar technique could be used to defend Earth against potential impacts by hazardous asteroids in the future.

Watch NASA Live from 3 to 4:30 p.m. PDT (6 to 7:30 p.m. EDT) to hear commentary from experts before and during the impact at Dimorphos. Images from DART, which will impact the asteroid at 4:14 p.m. PDT (7:14 p.m. EDT), will be streamed to Earth in real-time and shown during the broadcast.

Follow along with the latest news and updates on the mission website.

Educational Resources:

Educator Guides

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  Asteroids Lessons for Educators

  Explore a collection of standards-aligned lessons all about asteroids and craters.

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  Create a Comet with Dry Ice

  Build an icy model of a comet out of dry ice – complete with shooting jets! – as a demonstration for students.

  Subject Science

  Grades 2-5

  Time Less than 30 mins

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  Comet on a Stick

  Students build their own comet models using craft materials.

  Subject Science

  Grades 2-8

  Time 30-60 mins

Expert Talks

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  Teaching Space With NASA – Tracking Asteroids

  In this educational talk, NASA experts discuss how we track and study comets and asteroids.

Articles

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  How NASA Studies and Tracks Asteroids Near and Far

  Here’s how NASA uses math and science to track the movements of asteroids and find out what they’re made of – and students can, too.

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  For All Audiences

  Asteroids Articles from NASA/JPL Edu News

  Read about NASA missions exploring asteroids, and meet the interns taking part in the discovery process.

Student Activities

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  Asteroids Activities for Students

  Explore projects, videos, slideshows, and games for students all about asteroids.

Explore More:

• Website: Asteroid Watch
• Gallery: Next Five Asteroid Approaches
• Articles: Asteroid News and Images from JPL
• Student Article: What Is an Asteroid?
• Student Article: All About Comets
• Student Article: What Is a Meteor Shower?
• Student Article: What Is an Impact Crater?
• Student Article: Why Does the Moon Have Craters?
• Student Article: Asteroid or Meteor: What's the Difference?
• Project for Kids: Make a Comet on a Stick!