Lecture | Meteorites: Cosmic messengers at the Natural History Museum in Vienna | Christian Köberl

Their composition is crucial for unraveling the physical and chemical processes of the early solar nebula, and to deduce the origin of the chemical elements. In some rare cases, there are unusual meteorite encounters with the Earth, such as the Tunguska (1908) or Chelkyabinsk (2013) airbursts, or devastating impact events. The importance of impact cratering on the Moon or the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars) is obvious from the abundance of craters on their surfaces. On Earth, active geological processes rapidly obliterate the cratering record. Impacts influenced the geological and biological evolution of our own planet. Even the impact of relatively small asteroids or comets can have disastrous consequences for our civilization.

The Natural History Museum in Vienna has the oldest meteorite collection in the world, as well as the largest meteorite display, including many historical and scientifically important objects. The topics mentioned above are incorporated in the new meteorite hall at the museum. The NHM Vienna is one of the world's largest and oldest natural science museums, and a research institution as well.

Christian Koeberl is the director general of the Natural History Museum Vienna, Austria, and full professor of geosciences (planetary geology) at the University of Vienna, where he is the deputy head of the Department of Lithospheric Research. He is a full member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, where he also heads the Committee on Geosciences. Koeberl studied chemistry, physics, and astronomy at the Technical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, and obtained his PhD in 1983 at the University of Graz. His publication record includes over 400 peer-reviewed scientific papers; asteroid 15963 is named in his honor "Koeberl" .

When: October 28, 2015 7:30 pm
Where: Austrian Cultural Forum, 3524 International Court, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Tickets: Free admission
Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lecture-christian-koberl-meteorites-tickets-18637746000