The DART mission team’s investigation has shown that the DART spacecraft has successfully diverted asteroid Dimorphos since striking it on September 27, 2022, as per a NASA announcement on Tuesday.

To celebrate the announcement, Google came up with a unique idea. If you search ‘DART mission’ on Google, an animation comes up on the search results page that shows a spacecraft crashing followed by the page tilting to the right.

Go and try it out now. It’s quite fun!

Also read: NASA confirms DART Mission has altered asteroid Dimorphos’ orbit

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test or the DART mission, is a historic experiment by NASA which tested if it is possible to divert an asteroid in the event it comes towards the earth. 

The DART spacecraft started out on November 24, 2021, to collide head-on with the asteroid system called Dimorphos and Didymos. NASA announced on September 27, 2022, that the spacecraft has collided successfully with the asteroid and fulfilled its objective of diverting it.

It was the first time in history that humans managed to move a celestial body from the earth. 

The expert team at NASA has since been observing the asteroid’s path using the Hubble Space Telescope. On Tuesday, it released pictures taken with the telescope as well as the Italian Space Agency’s LICIACube, to confirm that the asteroid’s orbit has changed slightly since the DART spacecraft collided with it.

Also read: Elon Musk reacts to NASA’s successful DART Mission with Will Smith-Chris Rock meme

“All of us have a responsibility to protect our home planet. After all, it’s the only one we have,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said after the mission’s confirmed success.

“This mission shows that NASA is trying to be ready for whatever the universe throws at us. NASA has proven we are serious as a defender of the planet. This is a watershed moment for planetary defense and all of humanity, demonstrating commitment from NASA’s exceptional team and partners from around the world.”