Near Earth Objects – impacts in your lifetime

The Earth is under permanent threat of bombardment from asteroids and comets. Until recently the focus has been on identifying objects 1 km across or larger, which would be capable of killing many millions of people. But attention is now turning towards smaller objects, which cause less damage but hit much more frequently. Asteroid 2008 TC3, which burned up over North Africa in October 2008, was the first such body to be found and tracked before it hit us. Another reminder of the potential danger came in October 2010 when asteroid 2010 TD54, estimated to be 5 to 10 m across, passed Earth at little more than one-tenth the distance of the Moon. This talk will address what we know – and what we don't know – about the NEOs most likely to enter the Earth's atmosphere during your lifetime.

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About Alan Fitzsimmons

Alan Fitzsimmons is a Professor of Astronomy at Queen's University Belfast with a particular interest in the minor bodies of our Solar System. For over two decades he has been observing asteroids and comets at optical and infrared wavelengths with large telescopes around the world to determine their sizes and surface compositions. He has been a member of ESA's Near-Earth Object Mission Advisory Panel and is an organizer of the 2011 Planetary Defence Conference. His current focus is on understanding the characteristics of Near-Earth Objects and searching for cometary bodies around other stars.

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