2026 Karlis Kaufmanis Lecture

Join us for an enlightening lecture as Chris Lintott delves into the fascinating world of interstellar objects and their implications on our understanding of the Solar System! 🌠

In July 2025, a telescope in Chile detected 3I/ATLAS, a small comet believed to have formed over seven billion years ago. This intriguing object, the third interstellar body detected passing through our Solar System, offers unique insights into the formation of Earth and challenges our previous notions of the Solar System's history.

Discover how the latest findings from the OSIRIS-REx mission provide context for these objects, suggesting a more dynamic and chaotic history for our cosmic neighborhood. With the advent of the Vera Rubin Observatory, set to identify 3-5 million asteroids in the coming years, we are on the brink of a revolutionary understanding of our celestial surroundings! 🔭✨

📍 Location: 300 Washington Avenue Southeast, Minneapolis, MN 55455
🔗 Register here — The organizer asks for advance RSVP.