Series: Astronomy Colloquium
Date: Wednesday 13-Sep-2023
Time: 16:05-17:00 (4:05-5:00 pm)
Location: ATL 2400
Speaker: Dr. Marc Buie (SWRI Boulder)
Title: Small-body occultations as a tool to understand solar system formation
With the release of the Gaia DR2 star catalog, a new era has begun allowing the use of occultations by small solar system bodies. We can now deterministically obtain occultation sizes, shapes, and precise astrometry of nearly any object we want. We have successfully observed small near-Earth objects (eg., Phaethon, Didymos/Dimorphos, Apophis) all the way out to Jupiter Trojans and on into the Kuiper Belt. I will present results of work in support of New Horizons and Lucy that reveal a pathway to building a much more detail view of the formation of our solar system and show the current challenges that stand in the way as we stand on the threshold of another legacy data stream soon to come from VRO/LSST.
In-person colloquia are usually preceded by espresso and ice cream at 1:45 pm outside room PSC 1150 and are followed by an informal reception at 5:15 pm in that room. Anyone interested in talking with the speaker, or being added to the colloquium announcement email list, should contact the colloquium organizer Dr. Leslie Sage. Lunch will normally be reserved for the speaker to talk to graduate students. Anyone asking a question during a talk is asked to raise their hand and be acknowledged before speaking. Contact Dr. Leslie Sage for details.
Colloquium Organizer:
Dr. Leslie Sage
Special accommodations for individuals with disabilities can be made by calling (301) 405-3001. It would be appreciated if we are notified at least one week in advance.
