[meteorite-list] Free Lectures: Comets, Asteroids and the Interplanetary Shooting Gallery

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:01:32 2004
Message-ID: <200206122220.PAA25962_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109 TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov

Contact: Martha J. Heil (818) 354-0850

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 12, 2002

FREE LECTURES LINK SPACE ROCKS AND EARTH LIFE

The influence of asteroids and comets on life on Earth will
be the topic of two free, public lectures entitled "Comets,
Asteroids and the Interplanetary Shooting Gallery" at NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Thursday, June 20, and at
Pasadena City College on Friday, June 21.

Dr. Don Yeomans, head of NASA's Near Earth Objects program
office, will discuss how comets and asteroids brought the
building blocks of life to the young Earth and how later
impacts caused worldwide extinctions. He will also describe
steps being taken today to detect potentially hazardous
comets and asteroids.

Liquid water, carbon-based molecules and a relatively
stable environment are critical elements for life. Comets
and asteroids can bring water and the chemicals on which
life is based, but can also bring widespread destruction.
If future impacts are inevitable, what should we do?

Both lectures begin at 7 p.m. Seating is on a first-come,
first-served basis. The JPL lecture will be webcast live
and will be available after the event at

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures/jun02.html .

The lecture at JPL, located at 4800 Oak Grove Dr.,
Pasadena, off the Oak Grove Drive exit of the 210 (Foothill)
Freeway, will be held in the von Karman Auditorium. The
Friday lecture will be held in Pasadena City College's
Vosloh Forum at 1570 E. Colorado Blvd.

For more information, visit

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures/jun02.html

or call (818) 354-0112. JPL is a division of the
California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

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Received on Wed 12 Jun 2002 06:20:11 PM PDT