Asteroid · 65803

Didymos

The parent of Dimorphos

DART targeted Dimorphos, the smaller body in the Didymos binary system. ESA’s Hera mission is designed to study the system after that impact.

65803 Didymos · spacecraft or telescope observation
DART view of the Didymos–Dimorphos binary system. NASA/JPL · Image source ↗

Measurements

Effective diameter
0.78 km
Semimajor axis
1.643 AU
Orbital period
769.024 Earth days
Orbit, physical values and uncertainties
eccentricity
.3831233242624545 ± 1.0416E-10
semi-major axis
1.642709608529702 au ± 9.9148E-11
perihelion distance
1.013349242511927 au ± 1.733E-10
inclination; angle with respect to x-y ecliptic plane
3.413876519313629 deg ± 1.482E-8
longitude of the ascending node
72.9858236207145 deg ± 1.9715E-7
argument of perihelion
319.5807001349104 deg ± 2.1543E-7
mean anomaly
260.8612886320632 deg ± 7.0015E-8
time of perihelion passage
2461412.277780167719 TDB ± 1.6738E-7
sidereal orbital period
769.0235207660371 d ± 6.9623E-8
mean motion
.4681261239466357 deg/d ± 4.2381E-11
aphelion distance
2.272069974547477 au ± 1.3713E-10
absolute magnitude
18.11
diameter
0.78 km ± 0.03
extent
0.797 x 0.783 x 0.761 km ± 6% x 6% x 10%
bulk density
2.17 g/cm^3 ± 0.35
rotation period
2.2593 h
pole direction
78, -71 degrees ± 20 degrees
SMASSII spectral type
S

Published JPL orbital elements describe their stated epoch; they are not current positions. Small-body diameters can be effective/model-dependent sizes, not spherical shapes. Missing measurements remain unavailable. Pluto’s diameter uses the New Horizons reference rather than an empty SBDB field. Orbital epoch: JD 2461200.5 TDB.

Object reference ↗

Missions & milestones

2 launches · 8 connected events

These are target-related flights and every connected programme record in the production catalogue. A connected event may concern another stage or target of the same journey. Launch outcome does not establish arrival or current operation. This entry covers the binary system; DART struck its moon Dimorphos.

CONNECTED EVENT

Hera Mars & Deimos Flyby

March 12, 2025 · UTC

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TARGET-RELATED FLIGHT

Hera

October 7, 2024 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

NASA DART Update Press Briefing

October 11, 2022 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

NASA DART Post-Impact Press Briefing

September 27, 2022 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

NASA DART Impact

September 26, 2022 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

NASA DART Pre-Impact Press Briefing

September 22, 2022 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

DART Technologies Media Teleconference

September 12, 2022 · UTC

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TARGET-RELATED FLIGHT

Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)

November 24, 2021 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

DART Pre-Launch News Conference

November 23, 2021 · UTC

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CONNECTED EVENT

DART Launch Preview Briefing

November 4, 2021 · UTC

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Complete source cohort: 9,386 records.

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