Devastation from Above – Exploring the Threat of Asteroid Impacts

Asteroids and comets lurk among the planets of our Solar System.  Though relatively small, these relics of the solar system’s formation pack a powerful punch when they strike planets and moons. In this presentation on impacts, Matthew Pappas, Associate Professor of Astronomy from Suffolk County Community College, will discuss the history of impacts within the solar system, the statistics of life-threatening impacts on Earth, and the efforts being made to protect ourselves from future catastrophic collisions.