Elliptical ejecta of asteroid Dimorphos is due to its surface curvature

Masatoshi Hirabayashi (thirabayashi@gatech.edu), Sabina D. Raducan, Jessica M. Sunshine, Tony L. Farnham, J. D. P. Deshapriya, Jian-Yang Li, Gonzalo Tancredi, Steven R. Chesley, R. Terik Daly, Carolyn M. Ernst, Igor Gai, Pedro H. Hasselmann, Shantanu P. Naidu, Hari Nair, Eric E. Palmer, C. Dany Waller, Angelo Zinzi, Harrison F. Agrusa, Brent W. Barbee, Megan Bruck Syal, Gareth S. Collins, Thomas M. Davison, Mallory E. DeCoster, Martin Jutzi, Kathryn M. Kumamoto, Nicholas A. Moskovitz, Joshua R. Lyzhoft, Stephen R. Schwartz, Paul A. Abell, Olivier S. Barnouin, Nancy L. Chabot, Andrew F. Cheng, Elisabetta Dotto, Eugene G. Fahnestock, Patrick Michel, Derek C. Richardson, Andrew S. Rivkin, Angela M. Stickle, Cristina A. Thomas, Joel Beccarelli, John R. Brucato, Massimo Dall’Ora, Vincenzo Della Corte, Elena Mazzotta Epifani, Simone Ieva, Gabriele Impresario, Stavro Ivanovski, Alice Lucchetti, Dario Modenini, Maurizio Pajola, Pasquale Palumbo, Simone Pirrotta, Giovanni Poggiali, Alessandro Rossi, Paolo Tortora, Filippo Tusberti, Marco Zannoni, Giovanni Zanotti, Fabio Ferrari, David A. Glenar, Isabel Herreros, Seth A. Jacobson, Özgür Karatekin, Monica Lazzarin, Ramin Lolachi, Michael P. Lucas, Rahil Makadia, Francesco Marzari, Colby C. Merrill, Alessandra Migliorini, Ryota Nakano, Jens Ormö, Paul Sánchez, Cem Berk Senel, Stefania Soldini and Timothy J. Stubbs
Additional contact information
Masatoshi Hirabayashi: Georgia Institute of Technology
Sabina D. Raducan: University of Bern
Jessica M. Sunshine: University of Maryland
Tony L. Farnham: University of Maryland
J. D. P. Deshapriya: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma
Jian-Yang Li: Sun Yat-sen University
Gonzalo Tancredi: UdelaR
Steven R. Chesley: California Institute of Technology
R. Terik Daly: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Carolyn M. Ernst: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Igor Gai: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Pedro H. Hasselmann: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma
Shantanu P. Naidu: California Institute of Technology
Hari Nair: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Eric E. Palmer: Planetary Science Institute
C. Dany Waller: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Angelo Zinzi: Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI)
Harrison F. Agrusa: University of Maryland
Brent W. Barbee: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Megan Bruck Syal: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Gareth S. Collins: Imperial College London
Thomas M. Davison: Imperial College London
Mallory E. DeCoster: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Martin Jutzi: University of Bern
Kathryn M. Kumamoto: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Nicholas A. Moskovitz: Lowell Observatory
Joshua R. Lyzhoft: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Stephen R. Schwartz: Planetary Science Institute
Paul A. Abell: NASA Johnson Space Center
Olivier S. Barnouin: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Nancy L. Chabot: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Andrew F. Cheng: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Elisabetta Dotto: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma
Eugene G. Fahnestock: California Institute of Technology
Patrick Michel: Laboratoire Lagrange
Derek C. Richardson: University of Maryland
Andrew S. Rivkin: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Angela M. Stickle: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Cristina A. Thomas: Northern Arizona University
Joel Beccarelli: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova
John R. Brucato: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Arcetri
Massimo Dall’Ora: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte
Vincenzo Della Corte: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte
Elena Mazzotta Epifani: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma
Simone Ieva: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma
Gabriele Impresario: Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI)
Stavro Ivanovski: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
Alice Lucchetti: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova
Dario Modenini: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Maurizio Pajola: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova
Pasquale Palumbo: INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali
Simone Pirrotta: Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI)
Giovanni Poggiali: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Arcetri
Alessandro Rossi: IFAC-Istituto di fisica applicata Nello Carrara
Paolo Tortora: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Filippo Tusberti: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova
Marco Zannoni: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Giovanni Zanotti: Politecnico di Milano
Fabio Ferrari: Politecnico di Milano
David A. Glenar: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Isabel Herreros: CSIC-INTA
Seth A. Jacobson: Michigan State University
Özgür Karatekin: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Monica Lazzarin: Università di Padova
Ramin Lolachi: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Michael P. Lucas: Florida Space Institute
Rahil Makadia: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Francesco Marzari: Università di Padova
Colby C. Merrill: Cornell University
Alessandra Migliorini: INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali
Ryota Nakano: Georgia Institute of Technology
Jens Ormö: CSIC-INTA
Paul Sánchez: University of Colorado Boulder
Cem Berk Senel: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Stefania Soldini: University of Liverpool
Timothy J. Stubbs: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Kinetic deflection is a planetary defense technique delivering spacecraft momentum to a small body to deviate its course from Earth. The deflection efficiency depends on the impactor and target. Among them, the contribution of global curvature was poorly understood. The ejecta plume created by NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test impact on its target asteroid, Dimorphos, exhibited an elliptical shape almost aligned along its north-south direction. Here, we identify that this elliptical ejecta plume resulted from the target’s curvature, reducing the momentum transfer to 44 ± 10% along the orbit track compared to an equivalent impact on a flat target. We also find lower kinetic deflection of impacts on smaller near-Earth objects due to higher curvature. A solution to mitigate low deflection efficiency is to apply multiple low-energy impactors rather than a single high-energy impactor. Rapid reconnaissance to acquire a target’s properties before deflection enables determining the proper locations and timing of impacts.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56010-w

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