Join the staff of the McAuliffe Center and our special guests as we celebrate International Asteroid Day on Tuesday June 30, 2020. We are preparing activities for learners of all ages and level of interest, all accessible from the comfort and safety of your home.
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Asteroid Day Activities at Home
Check out our curated selection of videos, websites and activities that you can participate in at home, on your own schedule. Share your photos on social media with hashtag #AsteroidDay, and make sure to tag @McAuliffeCenter
Make a crater - studying craters (on the Moon AND on Earth) help us understand the objects that created them, like the asteroids that have caused major impacts on Earth
Incoming! - a 25-minute film from the California Academy of Sciences, originally produced for the planetarium, now available for free to stream at home
More information, activities and more at: International Asteroid Day Official Website - and United Nations International Asteroid Day
3:00 PM The Hunt for Asteroids - Pat Monteith, author and NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
For middle school students and family audiences
Pat Monteith will address some of the myths and facts about asteroids and discuss the NASA missions that are currently expanding our knowledge of these small rocky bodies that sometimes make their way close to Earth.
View recording on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SxxyJYVU_20
6:00 PM Planetary Defense 101, or Who to Turn to When an Asteroid is About to Hit You - Dr. Alissa Haddaji, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
For high school students and adults
Join us on International Asteroid Day for an exploration of this serious but little-discussed threat of an asteroid hitting planet earth. The presentation will include the latest research and the legal implications of Planetary Defense missions.
View recording on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8ErxxrUmAH4