Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, formally of Queen’s University Belfast, will give a public talk hosted by the Costa Blanca Astronomical Society. Fitzsimmons is an expert in asteroid and cometary science and was formally an astronomer in the QUB Astrophysics Research Centre and a member of the Solar System Group. He used world-leading observatories to measure the physical properties of solar system bodies and their composition.
The talk, titled Defending the Earth will explain that impacts by asteroids and comets are a staple of modern science fiction. Reality is more complicated, but we now discover thousands of new Near-Earth Objects every year and are in the middle of the first test of asteroid deflection by NASA and ESA. This talk will explain how potentially dangerous asteroids are discovered and tracked. Threat assessment is automatically performed when new data are reported. He will describe the current state of the art, and how new observatories coming into operation will help this effort over the next decade. Anyone who is worried about the future of our planet should be interested in attending.
The talk will take place on Friday, October 30th at 19:00 in Casa de Cultura, Denia – Sala De Actos. Attendance is free and open to all. The language will be in English and there is no need to reserve seating. Please contact the Costa Blanca Astronomical Society on 671 152 686 if further information is required.
The Society meets on the first Monday of every month at 16.30-18.00 at the Casa de Cultura in Dénia, Plaça Jaume I. You don’t have to be a boffin to appreciate the meetings: everyone is welcome.