Date: Monday 13-Mar-2017
Time: 11:15-12:15
Location: CSS 1250
Speaker: Colin Snodgrass (The Open University)
Title: Exploring water in the asteroid belt: Proposed ESA missions Castalia and CASTAway
Recent observations and models suggest that there could be a significant amount of water ice in the asteroid belt. The amount of water there is an important constraint on solar system formation and evolution models, but is difficult to assess with current technology. I will discuss attempts to detect this water from Earth, and introduce two missions which were proposed to the latest ESA M-class call, to visit the asteroid belt and directly investigate water there. Castalia is a mini-Rosetta mission to rendezvous with a main belt comet, while CASTAway is a combined survey and tour that would explore the diversity of bodies in the main belt.
For further information contact PALS coordinator Dr. Matthew Knight at knight@astro.umd.edu or (301)-405-2629.
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS: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.
