Presentation title:  Space Rocks! Studying the Icy Building Blocks in our Outer Solar System

Presentation Brief: Understanding the origin of our solar system involves studying its early formation and evolution. Unfortunately, we cannot look back through time to witness the actual formation. Instead, we observe its modern-day features to infer the conditions of its birth. For example, the number of craters on the moon reveals the history of impacts, while the compositions of asteroids inform us about their thermal histories. In the outer solar system, the orbits and colours of icy rocks, specifically Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), help trace the history and migration patterns of the giant planets.

In this talk, I will explore the formation and dynamics of planets, and how we study their surface compositions. We’ll discuss the significance of studying these very distant icy rocks, and how by combining observational data with dynamical models we can reconstruct the early layout of the Kuiper Belt. This approach offers a glimpse into a time we cannot directly observe, deepening our understanding of our cosmic origins and the dynamic processes that have shaped our solar system. In addition, we will discuss how seemingly simple things (like the angles we make our observations from) can influence our interpretation of TNO surface compositions.

Bio: Dr. Laura Buchanan is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Victoria. She completed her PhD in astrophysics in 2023 at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland. She studies the compositions and origins small bodies in the outer solar system known as Trans-Neptunian Objects.

Secondary Presentation: Local members Debby and Doug will give a brief presentation on their recent trip to Yukon to see the Northern Lights.