One of the world’s leading asteroid researchers will explain how scientists protect Earth from cosmic collisions when Joe Masiero delivers a free stargazing lecture Friday, October 3.
Masiero, a research scientist at Caltech IPAC and lead scientist for the NEO Surveyor mission, will present “Searching for Near-Earth Objects” on Friday, October 3, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Near-Earth objects—asteroids and comets that venture close to our planet—formed at the birth of our solar system almost 5 billion years ago and provide important insights into the history and evolution of our sun and planets. However, they also pose a hazard to Earth due to the possibility of collision.
“In this talk, I will discuss how astronomers discover NEOs, what techniques we use to understand them better, what we can do if we find one that poses the threat of impacting Earth, and the exciting future in store as the next-generation telescopes to study NEOs begin operation,” Masiero said.
Masiero earned his Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy in September 2009 with a thesis on asteroid composition and surface properties.
The event is part of Caltech’s Stargazing Lectures series. The format includes a 30-minute presentation followed by a 60-minute Q&A panel and guided stargazing with telescopes, weather permitting. Remote viewers can watch the live stream at https://www.youtube.com/live/35_dtU9yO9Y.
For more information, contact Cameron Hummels at chummels@caltech.edu or call 626-510-2765.
Stargazing Lecture: Searching for Near-Earth Objects with Joe Masiero will run on Friday, Oct. 3, at 8:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1216 E. California Blvd., in Pasadena. For more call 626-510-2765 or visit https://events.caltech.edu/calendar/stargazing-lecture-90166. Tickets: Free.
