We live in very uncertain times! So, isn’t it reassuring to finally have an honest and authoritative guide to all those pressing questions, such as: What are the chances I will be killed by a falling space rock? What really happened to the dinosaurs? Why are we here? Where did Earth’s water come from? Do…
Recently, while visiting my family near Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Ireland, we decided to do a bit of sightseeing in the local area. And where better to go than the Rock of Cashel, former home of the Kings of Munster. It’s a spectacular ruin with wonderful views across the surrounding countryside. Now, it has to be…
When I was working at the Natural History Museum, a while ago now it has to be said, one of my jobs involved the study of micrometeorites. These are tiny particles that almost certainly form the largest fraction of extraterrestrial material swept up by Earth each year. Estimates of just how much they represent vary…
Fantastic news. Just watched live the feed from NASA TV as the OSIRIS-REx sample capsule descended safely through the atmosphere and landed safely in the Utah desert. A brilliant mission has delivered its very precious samples from Asteroid Bennu. Congratulations to all the team members involved.
Less than 30 minutes to go before the OSIRIS-REx sample lands in the Utah desert. I am excited, but also a little bit nervous. Well, it is a really big moment. Watching first the BBC coverage and now NASA TV. Good luck to everyone involved.
So, today is Asteroid Day! Perhaps it’s me, but there is a sort of menacing feeling when you talk to people about asteroids. The pertinent question seems to be: Will they get us the way they got the dinosaurs? You know the sort of thing. And of course it is natural to worry about such…
Of course these are anxious times. So much to worry about. And now there is less than a week to go before launch. I am not an astronomer, but even I sense the tension mounting. If all goes according to plan the James Webb Space Telescope, successor to the mighty Hubble, is due to be…
So, now we have this lovely meteorite called Winchcombe (unofficial name for the moment). And everyone has been asking what sort of new and amazing stuff will we learn from it? The answer of course is loads – it’s packed full of exciting information about the earliest days of our Solar System. All we have…
The fall and recovery of the Winchcombe meteorite is a brilliant success for UK Science. Here are some links for more details: BBC News Open University News Photo above is me with the second sample of the Winchcombe meteorite – found in Woodmancote
Meteorites: The Blog from the Final Frontier 