What's Up With That Asteroid Crash?

So, you know how NASA smashed into an asteroid in 2022 to see if we could change its path? Yeah, that was a real thing! Now, the European Space Agency (ESA) is sending a probe named Hera to check out the damage. This isn't some boring science stuff—it’s like a space detective story! The asteroid, Dimorphos, was never going to hit Earth, but scientists wanted to test if they could change its course. They used a spacecraft called DART and knocked it off track. Pretty cool, huh? But here’s the thing: we don't know exactly what happened during that crash or how much damage was done. Hera will help figure out those details. It'll fly past Mars next year and then head to Dimorphos in 2026. There are two tiny satellites on board—Juventas and Milani. Juventas might even land on Dimorphos, which would be a first for such a small asteroid! Why is this important? Well, bigger asteroids can cause global disasters, but they’re rare. Smaller ones, like the size of Dimorphos, are less likely but could still wreck a city. We need to understand how to protect ourselves if one of these space rocks heads our way.