The Onslaught of

Extraterrestrial Objects

This presentation will be live at Martz-Kohl Observatory and available online via Zoom. You are encouraged to come to the observatory to meet Walt Pickut and Tom Traub, and the rest of the astronomy team at MKO, to join in what could be a lively Q&A after the talk. Tours will follow. Dress appropriately for the weather as if you were outside. While the classroom is heated, the domes are not. If the weather permits, there will be public viewing opportunities.

There has been a lot of activity in our solar system with recent solar flares and visits of Near Earth Objects (NEOs). Observatory board members, Walt Pickut and Tom Traub will join forces to talk about these recent events in the context of the Earth being a “target.”

Solar activity has been high. We’ve had recent sunspots that produced a solar storm resulting in the spectacular aurora of May 10. Continued sunspot activity has produced more flares and storms causing partial radio disruptions around the world. Tom Traub will discuss the Sun, recent solar events and possible implications.

NEOs such as comets, asteroids, and meteors are objects that have been nudged by the gravitational attraction of nearby planets into orbits that allow them to enter the Earth’s neighborhood. Asteroids typically reside in a “belt” between Mars and Jupiter. Meteors, on the other hand, are usually much smaller, typically pebble-sized or smaller, and are usually made of debris left by comets. Every once in an eon, though, an asteroid or big meteor comes along that could wipe out a city or a million dinosaurs 🙂 Walt Pickut will talk about the different types of NEOs, where they come from, how they’ve impacted the Earth, and possible future dangers.

Zoom Meeting

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Time: June 19, 2024 at 7:30 PM, Eastern Time

Topic: Tom Traub & Walt Pickut
Meeting ID:  860 7792 7134
Passcode: program

Click the “One Clink Link” shown below. When prompted, click “open zoom.us” in the dialog shown by your browser. If you don’t see a dialog, click the blue “Launch Meeting” in the webpage.

One Click Link: June 2024 Zoom Link

Zoom URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86077927134?pwd=cDNyL0ovSmNaN3ViRHdYSnlkVGFYdz09

Manual dial-in: +1 646 558 8656
Meeting ID:    860 7792 7134
Passcode: 0582404

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