Professor Alan Fitzsimmons
The impact of a small asteroid in Russia in 2013 reminded everyone of the potential dangers from space. Producing a fireball brighter than the Sun, over a thousand people were injured by the resulting shockwave. Larger asteroids can be much more deadly. This talk will address what we know – and what we don’t know – about the asteroids and comets that could be on a collision course. Where are they, how can we detect them, and what should we do if we find one coming our way?
Alan Fitzsimmons is a Professor of Astronomy in the Astrophysics Research Centre, Queen’s University Belfast. His field of expertise is the study of asteroids and comets.
He co-leads the Pan-STARRS inner solar system project, and works within the NEOShield project on preventing asteroid impacts, among other interests. In the past year he has also been busy on observations supporting the Rosetta mission and featured on BBC programmes such as The Sky at Night and Horizon.
Please note that due to the popularity of these events, we ask that all members pre-book their seats in order to guarantee entrance on the night. We cannot guarantee entrance to the lecture theatre if you do not pre-book your seat.
Followed by the Flamsteed Christmas party.
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