In this online workshop, participants will explore the newly-revised Hazardous Asteroids investigation developed by NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Part of Rubin Observatory’s suite of free, classroom-ready investigations, this resource combines authentic astronomical data, computational modeling, and three-dimensional learning to help students make sense of real scientific questions.
Students use models of asteroid orbits to explore how additional observations of an asteroid can change its impact probability. They use magnitude data to calculate asteroid size ranges and consider how gravitational interactions can alter asteroid trajectories. The investigation concludes when students evaluate a set of asteroids and synthesize multiple lines of evidence to determine whether any could pose a future threat to Earth.
Designed for introductory astronomy courses and adaptable to a variety of classroom settings, Hazardous Asteroids gives students opportunities to think and work like scientists while building skills in data analysis, computational modeling, and evidence-based reasoning. A Spanish-language version of Hazardous Asteroids is also now available. Whether you are new to Hazardous Asteroids or revisiting the updated version, this workshop will provide practical strategies and classroom-ready materials you can use immediately.
Certificates for 2.5 hours of participation will be available for those who attend the live webinar. The webinar will be recorded and a link will be sent to all registered participants afterwards.
A Zoom link and workshop reminder will be sent to all registered participants on Monday, June 22.