asteroids: what, where, how and why we...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?
Dr. Harold Geller George Mason University
30 June 2016
1
![Page 2: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
What is an Asteroid?
2
![Page 3: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
3
![Page 4: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
4
![Page 5: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Asteroid Sizes
5
![Page 6: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Where are they? &
Where do they come from?
6
![Page 7: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
7
![Page 8: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
1
1
2
3 4
8
![Page 9: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
How do we study asteroids?
9
![Page 10: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
LINEAR NEO Search Systems
10
![Page 11: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Asteroids: Years of Discovery
1
11
![Page 12: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Hubble!
12
![Page 13: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Galileo Spacecraft
13
![Page 14: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
NEAR Shoemaker
14
![Page 15: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
EROS Asteroid 433
15
![Page 16: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
16
![Page 17: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
17
![Page 18: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Hayabusa Visiting Asteroid Itokawa
18
![Page 19: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Hayabusa Visiting Asteroid Itokawa
19
![Page 20: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Why do we care?
20
![Page 21: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
21
![Page 22: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
22
![Page 23: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
What happens if an Asteroid hits
the Earth?
23
![Page 24: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
?
24
![Page 25: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
25
![Page 26: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
26
![Page 27: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
27
![Page 28: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Meteor Crater, Arizona
28
![Page 29: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Earth Sterilizing Impact
Mass Extinction Impact
Civilization Threatening Impact
29
![Page 30: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
What Happens When an Impact Takes Place?
Bolides (up to 5 MT) • Great fireworks display, no damage Tunguska-class (15 MT) impact • Damage similar to large nuclear bomb (city-killer) • Average interval for whole Earth: 100 yr. • Minor risk relative to other natural disasters
(earthquakes, etc.) Larger local or regional catastrophes (e. g. 10,000
MT) • Destroys area equivalent to small country • Average interval for whole Earth: 100,000 yr. • Moderate risk relative to other natural disasters Global catastrophe (> 1 million MT) • Global environmental damage, threatening civilization • Average interval for whole Earth: 1 million years • Major risk relative to other natural disasters
30
![Page 31: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
Could it happen to us?
31
![Page 32: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
32
![Page 33: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
33
![Page 34: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
Terrestrial Impact Frequency year
century
million yr.
billion yr.
ten thousand yr.
100 million million 10,000 100 1 0.01
Hiroshima
Tunguska
K/T
TNT equivalent yield (MT)
Global catastrophe
Tsunami danger
34
![Page 35: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
What Can We Do?
35
![Page 36: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
Strategies
• Detect Project NEO (Near Earth Objects) http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ • Deflect Gravitational Tractor Impactor • Destroy
36
![Page 37: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
LINEAR NEO Search Systems
37
![Page 38: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
38
![Page 39: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
39
![Page 40: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
Civilization Threatening Impact
40
![Page 41: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/41.jpg)
Mass Extinction Impact
41
![Page 42: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/42.jpg)
Earth Sterilizing Impact
42
![Page 43: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/43.jpg)
Known Kilometer- Size Near Earth Asteroids
1000
500
1990 1995 2000
estimated total NEAs > 1 km
Spaceguard official start
43
![Page 44: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/44.jpg)
44
![Page 45: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/45.jpg)
45
![Page 46: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/46.jpg)
46
![Page 47: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/47.jpg)
47
![Page 48: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/48.jpg)
48
![Page 49: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/49.jpg)
Looks like a potato?
49
![Page 50: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/50.jpg)
50
![Page 51: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/51.jpg)
51
![Page 52: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/52.jpg)
52
![Page 53: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/53.jpg)
53
![Page 54: Asteroids: What, where, how and why we care?physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/AsteroidDay2016/GellerAsteroidDay2016In… · Meteor Crater, Arizona . 28 . Earth Sterilizing Impact Mass Extinction](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052013/6029faf0b0999220a8218cac/html5/thumbnails/54.jpg)
Questions??
54