Star Talks: From Dinos to Dart: Protecting the Earth From Asteroids

Program Type:

Lectures & Presentations

Age Group:

Adults

Event Details

Millions of years ago dinosaurs ruled the world, but their reign was brought to a swift end when an asteroid roughly the size of Prescott hit the Earth. Even though these types of cataclysmic impacts are rare, the Earth is always being bombarded by asteroids of all sizes. Therefore, scientists and policy makers are increasingly dedicating time and money to help us understand these threats. In this talk, Dr. Sam Myers will introduce the concept of planetary defense, and discuss some of the efforts currently underway to help protect the Earth from asteroids.

Samuel (Sam) Myers is a Ph.D. candidate at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona where he does research as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. His work is focused on observing and modeling Near-Earth Asteroids, with an eye towards understanding their composition and if they might be a threat to the Earth. He also has a strong interest in science policy and does work in this area to promote planetary defense and good governance practices at both the state and federal level.

Star Talks are in partnership with ​Prescott Astronomy Club and presented with funding from the Friends of the Prescott Public Library.