There was, as there often is, much excitement, and much misunderstanding, of the Earth's Second Moon (Kamo’oalewa). I will put this discovery in context, starting with our own Moon, its formation and importance in human history, and then other Moons in the Solar System, from the tiny rocks Phobos and Deimos orbiting Mars to the planet-sized moons around Saturn and Jupiter, some with exciting possibilities for life. I will also discuss the importance of detecting objects like Kamo’oalewa early enough to protect us, that is, expand on a Planetary Defense system to detect and divert potentially catastrophic Earth collisions.
The talk will also be live-streamed on YouTube: https://bit.ly/isss-8
SCOPE Section