Date: Monday 13-Sep-2021
Time: 11:15-12:15
Location: Online via Zoom (link sent out to the PALS distribution list prior to the talk)
Speaker: Qicheng Zhang (Caltech)
Title: Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard)'s Close Encounter with Venus
Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) will pass 0.029 au from Venus this December---closer than any other known comet to Venus in modern history---and in the process, may dust the planet with millimeter-sized meteoroids ejected from the comet many years earlier while it was still far out in the outer solar system. In this presentation, I will introduce the relevant dynamics of the comet's dust tail and the necessary conditions for its meteoroids to become meteors, compare the event at hand with the much closer encounter of comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) to Mars in 2014 and its associated meteor shower, and briefly discuss the plausibility of observing meteors on Venus and/or their aftermath. I will additionally present imagery and spectroscopy from earlier this year that provide a direct look into the current state of the comet as it approaches the Sun, and subsequently speculate on the physical properties of the nucleus and its potential future activity.
For further information contact PALS coordinators Drs. Quanzhi Ye (qye@umd.edu) and Matej Malik (malik@umd.edu).
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.
