Asteroids, Meteors, and Cosmic Close Calls

Every day, Earth is bombarded by material from space, from microscopic dust grains to house-sized asteroids. Most burn harmlessly in our atmosphere as brilliant meteors, but occasionally a larger object creates a spectacular fireball and even a sonic boom. In this talk, we’ll explore where asteroids come from, how they differ from meteors and meteorites, what scientists have learned from studying these ancient remnants of the solar system, and how they have shaped Earth’s history. We’ll also examine the recent meteor that exploded off the coast of Massachusetts, using this dramatic local event to understand what happens when space rocks encounter Earth’s atmosphere, how scientists investigate these events, and what they tell us about our dynamic solar system. Join us as we hear more about these interesting phenomena with Dr. Sarah Caudill, Astronomy professor at UMass Dartmouth.