DART
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Dallas Area Rapid Transit |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Transportation & Travel, Science & Engineering |
DART has three meanings. The most common are Dallas Area Rapid Transit (rail and transit) and Double Asteroid Redirection Test (astronomy & Space); it can also stand for Dublin Area Rapid Transit.
Meanings of DART at a glance
| # | DART stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas Area Rapid Transit | Transportation & Travel › Rail and Transit |
| 2 | Double Asteroid Redirection Test | Science & Engineering › Astronomy & Space |
| 3 | Dublin Area Rapid Transit | Transportation & Travel › Rail and Transit |
1. Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Transportation & Travel · Rail and Transit Abbreviations
Transit agency for Dallas and surrounding cities, operating buses and a light rail network often described as the longest in the United States, along with commuter rail service.
Example: DART's Orange Line runs from downtown Dallas to DFW Airport Terminal A.
Light rail service began in 1996. Member cities fund DART with a one-cent sales tax, and some suburbs have debated withdrawing. DART also operates the Trinity Railway Express to Fort Worth with Trinity Metro.
2. Double Asteroid Redirection Test
Science & Engineering · Astronomy & Space Abbreviations
NASA mission that deliberately crashed a spacecraft into the small asteroid moonlet Dimorphos on September 26, 2022, to test whether an impact could change an asteroid's path. The collision shortened Dimorphos's orbit around its larger companion, Didymos, by about 33 minutes.
Example: DART showed that a kinetic impactor can nudge an asteroid enough to matter for planetary defense.
The impact ejected far more debris than expected, and the recoil from that material made the deflection several times stronger than the impact alone. Neither asteroid posed any threat to Earth. ESA's Hera spacecraft, launched in 2024, was sent to survey the aftermath.
3. Dublin Area Rapid Transit
Transportation & Travel · Rail and Transit Abbreviations
Electrified commuter rail line in Dublin, Ireland, running along the coast of Dublin Bay from Howth and Malahide through the city center to Greystones, operated by Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann).
Example: Take the DART to Howth for the cliff walk and fresh fish and chips.
Opened in 1984 as Ireland's first electrified railway. Its route along the bay is one of the most scenic commuter rides in Europe. The DART+ program aims to extend electrified service to more lines. Not to be confused with Dallas's transit agency of the same initials.
Related abbreviations
More rail and transit abbreviations
- CPKC – Canadian Pacific Kansas City
- CRH – China Railway High-speed
- CSX – CSX Transportation
- CTA – Chicago Transit Authority
- DB – Deutsche Bahn
- DLR – Docklands Light Railway
- DMU – Diesel multiple unit
- EMU – Electric multiple unit
See all 78 rail and transit abbreviations →