The Sky's the Limit

What happens when a rock travelling at tens of kilometres per second hits the surface of the Earth? Most people will think only of mass extinctions and destruction, but these events can also provide useful environments and resources. Oz will discuss his research into hypervelocity impacts on Earth and other planets, and explain some of the less-well-known benefits of this amazing process.

Will we all fry in the next solar superflare? How can we shelter from space weather? As well as being the source of light and life on Earth, the Sun is a tempestuous star prone to flares and eruptions that send radiation, subatomic particles and magnetised gas into space at colossal speeds. Sometimes they hit our planet with dramatic effects.This talk will explore solar flares, and discuss whether they can be predicted, and their impact on our planet and our society.

We are used to the idea of gravity as a force that brings objects to earth, and know that it can influence objects in orbit. But did you know that gravity can help objects go upwards as well?

In this talk we will discuss gravitational slingshots: how we can use gravity to send spacecraft faster than would ever be possible using rockets alone..