Shadows from the Fringes of the Solar System
Monterey Peninsula College
Sat, May 24 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Which asteroids are a threat to Earth? Which are made up of the precious metals and rare earth minerals critical to modern technology? And what can these ancient and unaltered bodies tell us about the origin of the Solar System? All of these questions may be answered with more precise measurements of their size, shape and orbital parameters.
Intrepid amateur and professional astronomers, like Dr. Richard Nolthenius, criss-cross the country in search of the answers in the narrow shadow cones cast by these arcane rocks. By capturing the fleeting moment a distant star is dimmed as an asteroid passes in front of it, they obtain the most precise data to date. Join us, as Rick recounts his adventures chasing shadows and the science they have wrought.



















