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In AST301 we will consider the various factors that make the Earth a risky place to live. Every year about 20,000 tons of extraterrestrial matter collide with the Earth, mostly burning up harmlessly in the upper atmosphere. But occasionally some larger bodies get through, with potentially disastrous consequences. Geology and Paleontology inform us of frequent mass extinctions, some triggered by collisions, and others triggered internally. Together they testify to the fragile hold of multicellular life on the surface of our planet. We will discuss how these events, interactions between Sun and the Earth, explosive events elsewhere in the Galaxy, and now our own technological achievements, have played a significant role in the evolution of the Solar System, of the Earth, and of life on our planet.
Our ultimate goal is to understand the risks of living on a fragile planet in an indifferent universe.
These pages copyright 2020-2025 by Frederick M Walter
Disclaimer: Any opinions presented in these pages are those of the instructor, and not those of Stony Brook University, though they should be.