Comets: what are they, why do we care, and how do we visit them?

Comets are well-preserved leftovers from the formation of the solar system and represent windows into the physical conditions and chemical composition of the regions where they formed. To investigate the inner most regions of the coma, an unbound atmosphere of gas and dust, and the comet’s nucleus usually requires dedicated space missions. Comets are notoriously unpredictable and thus spacecraft missions to visit them are faced with numerous hazards and uncertainties. This talk will cover a brief introduction to comets and their scientific and cultural importance, then discuss several recent comet missions. Finally, I will discuss my thesis work on the dynamics and navigation of spacecraft orbiting active comets.

Speaker: Mark Moretto, Colorado University

Attend in person or online