SCIence FRIday Night: Anatomy of a Meteorite Impact – The Ries Crater with Bill Montante

Description

Museum + Store: Open until 9 PM
Café: Open until 8 PM
FREE Planetarium Shows: 5 – 9 PM
Observatory: Open 5 – 10 PM (weather permitting)

LECTURE at 7 PM: 14 million years ago, an extraterrestrial event occurred that altered the landscape surrounding what would become the German city of Nordlingen. A puzzle for centuries, it was not until 1960 that scientists pieced together the story that forever changed our understanding of impact features on planet Earth. Our speaker, Bill Montante, will reconstruct what happens when a meteorite plunges to Earth, and discuss how the Ries impact crater reshaped our awareness and concerns of future threats from outer space. FREE PLANETARIUM SHOW: FIREFALL The Earth has been (and continues to be) bombarded by objects from the solar system. The objects are left over from the formation of the sun and subsequent formation of the solar system. Meteoroids, comets and asteroids have all hit our planets. The surfaces of Mercury, Mars, our moon, and the moons of the large gas planets show evidence of this bombardment. Come and find out what may threaten our planet from space. Recommended for ages 6 and up. Show times are 5:15 PM, 6 PM, 6:45 PM, 7:30 PM, and 8:15 PM.