Earth Impacting Debris from Comets and Asteroids

Space Science & Astrobiology Division 
Seminar Series
 
N245 Conference Room 215
Thursday, February 14, 2019
At 15:00
  
Peter Jenniskens
SETI Institute
 
 
Abstract: The results from ongoing surveys are described that have mapped out our annual meteor showers. Data can now be accessed online in near-real time, facilitating the monitoring of unusual meteor shower activity. Comets dominate the influx at meteoroid sizes < 10 cm. Above 10 cm, meteors are mostly from debris of asteroid collisions. Those meteoroid streams manifest on Earth very differently. So far, 36 meteorite falls have been observed by cameras, providing a first glimpse into where in the asteroid belt the collisions occurred that are producing our meteorites. A recent fall over Botswana resulted in the recovery of material from asteroid 2018 LA. Since early 2017, a new instrument on the GOES-16 and GOES-17 weather satellites is providing position and light curve data for bolides that occur over the Americas.
 
Point of contact:
salma.bejaoui@nasa.gov
OR
lisseth.gavilanmarin@nasa.gov