As well as knocking Dimorphos off course, the spacecraft also gathered information on its internal structure and the effects of the impact. The researchers used computer simulations to recreate the collision as closely as possible, and the closest match they could achieve was by simulating Dimorphos as a weak pile of rubble, likely comprised of material shed from its own asteroid, Didymos.
The simulations also indicated that the impact wouldn’t have left a crater, but could have reshaped the moon in its entirety, a process known as global deformation.
The DART planetary defence demonstrator accomplished its mission on September 26, 2022, when it impacted the asteroid moon, shortening its orbital period by 33 minutes. DART has important planetary defence applications, but the spacecraft also provided information on the internal structure of asteroids and the effect of an impact on their properties.
