Space Rocks and Stardust - Nov. 15, 2025

This public talk, part of the CoffeeShop Astrophysics series, explains the nature and origins of space rocks, including asteroids, comets, and meteoroids. The first speaker, Tamal, introduces the topic with historical impact events like the Barringer Crater and the Tunguska event, then describes the solar nebular disc model for solar system formation, highlighting the asteroid belt, Kuiper belt, and Oort cloud as sources of these objects. The second speaker, Pratasha, details the structure of comets, their tails, and notable examples like Halley’s Comet and the interstellar objects ‘Oumuamua and 3I/ATLAS. She also clarifies the difference between asteroids, meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites, and explains meteor showers. The final speaker, Laya, discusses meteorite impacts on Earth, using the Chelyabinsk event as a recent example, and explains how meteorites are found and studied. The talk emphasizes that these objects are remnants from the solar system’s formation and can provide insights into its history, while also addressing the potential threat of future impacts and the importance of scientific literacy.