Invitation to a Seminar about Micrometeorites – Messengers from Space
Seminar held of Dr. Guido Jonker (VU Amsterdam) and Jon Larsen (Guest Researcher at Dept of Geosciences, UiO)
Date/Time: Thu. 24. September, 14:00 - 15:00, Aud. II, The Geology Building or Zoom
Abstract: The universe is a dusty place. Although space is typically considered empty, it is in fact filled with fragments of asteroids, comets, moons, and planets. These micro- to millimeter-sized cosmic dust particles swirl through our Solar System. Vastly outnumbering larger meteorites in terms of total numbers and mass, they are the most abundant form of extraterrestrial material delivered to the Earth for most of its 4.5 billion-year history. Micrometeorites—the remains of the cosmic dust particles that burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, leaving trails of luminous plasma—are small enough to fit in between the ridges of a fingerprint, allowing them to go unnoticed by the naked and oblivious eye. Yet, from the barren end of the world to the hearts of bustling metropoles, they are ever-abundant. Micrometeorites are a window into the seemingly infinite and unreachable universe. To catch a falling star is to hold the key to uncovering the secrets of the cosmos.
Guido and Jon will take us on a journey past asteroids and comets, from the remote regions of Antarctica and the Atacama Desert to urban rooftops, and into the depths of the laboratory to unravel the story that micrometeorites tell us about Earth, life, and the Solar System.
About the seminar
The seminar is open to students and employees at the Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, with an interest in planetary science, geology, astrobiology, and the hidden stories carried by cosmic dust. Interested participants from outside the University of Oslo are welcome to join via Zoom.
The host and organiser of this seminar is Annique van der Boon, Researcher at the Department of Geosciences, who will give an introduction to the speakers at the beginning of the event.
Welcome to all interested!