From BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY
Bowling Green State University invites the community to join its in-person Science Cafe event, titled “The Shape, Spin, and Structure of Small Bodies in our Solar System.” The event will be held Tuesday, Aug. 12, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Grounds For Thought, 174 S. Main St. Andrew McNeill’s talk will start promptly at 6:30 p.m., so early arrival is recommended.
The talk, which is aimed at the general public, will last approximately 30 minutes and will be followed by approximately 30 minutes of Q&A and discussion with the speaker and others involved in the research. Tickets are free, though registration is required. Coffee and cheesecake will be provided.
There are more than 1.4 million known minor planets in the Solar System, leftover pieces from its formation. Studying these objects gives some “archaeological” insight into the early days of the Solar System but also has practical importance. Asteroid impacts are the most credible threat from the cosmso and understanding what potential impactors are made of, their shape, and how they spin is critical for any planetary defense effort.
McNeill is an observational and computational astronomer interested in the rotational and shape properties of small objects within the Solar System. He is also the new director of the BGSU Observatory.
