Curiosity Lab: Planetary Defense and Potentially Hazardous Asteroids
June 14, 2026
- 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm ET
Virtual
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A near-Earth Object (NEO) is classified as “potentially hazardous” when its orbit comes within 0.05 astronomical units (AU) of Earth’s orbit. In this Curiosity Lab talk, Dr. Eileen Ryan, Director of the 2.4-meter Telescope at the Magdalena Ridge Observatory (MRO) at New Mexico Tech—and parent of an SSP alum—will discuss how astronomers monitor and study these objects as part of ongoing planetary defense efforts. Since 2008, the MRO 2.4-meter Telescope has been funded as part of NASA’s Planetary Defense network, providing critical ground-based follow-up observations and precise astrometric measurements that help refine the orbits of newly discovered NEOs and assess potential risks. The talk will also include a discussion of potentially hazardous asteroids and a review of NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, the first successful demonstration of humanity’s ability to intentionally alter an asteroid’s trajectory.
