Talk examines options for dealing with Earth-bound asteroids

February 15, 2011—Laboratory scientist Catherine Plesko will talk about asteroids at three Café Scientifique talks in Española, Santa Fe, and Los Alamos. The first talk is Thursday (Feb. 17) in Española.

What: "Deflection of Earth-Bound Asteroids" 

When and where:

Feb. 17: 6:45 p.m., Northern New Mexico College, 921 North Paseo De Onate, Española

Feb. 23: 6:45 p.m., Santa Fe Complex (near the Santa Fe Railyard), 624 Agua Fria Street, Santa Fe

Feb. 24: 6:45 p.m., Los Alamos Research Park, 4200 West Jemez Road, Los Alamos

Who’s invited: High school students and the general public

Sponsor: Café Scientifique Youth Leadership Team

Partners: National Science Foundation, Science Education Solutions, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and University of New Mexico-Los Alamos campus.

“Day and night, little pieces of asteroids and comets—the crumbs left over from the formation of the planets in our solar system—rain down on our Earth in the form of meteors,” Plesko said. Although most of these objects are small, once in a while something larger comes our way. This can either be deflected, where the object is pushed off course, or dispersed, where the object is blown apart.

Plesko will discuss the various options of dealing with Earth-bound asteroids, which are being explored using Earth-based computer simulations and small experiments. "Our goal is to come up with a plan long before a hazardous object is found to be coming at us," she said.

Café Scientifique is a popular program that brings teens and experts working on the cutting edge of scientific research together to explore, discuss, and debate the latest ideas in science and technology. The program is free, food and drink are provided, students are compensated for carpooling, and participants are eligible to win door prizes.

For more information, visit the Café Scientifique website.