A LEADING Queen’s astronomer is appearing on the BBC’s Horizon programme to explain what is known about the asteroid that hit Russia two weeks ago, injuring more than 1,000 people.
In The Truth About Meteors: A Horizon Special to be shown at 9pm tomorrow on BBC2, Professor Alan Fitzsimmons from Queen’s astrophysics research centre gives an insight into what happened in Russia and what can be done about such events in the future.
Prof Fitzsimmons is part of a European team that is studying the best way to deflect larger asteroids that may be on a collision course with the earth.
Speaking about the events in Russia, he said: “Perhaps the shocking thing is how small this asteroid was to cause such an effect, only about 15 metres in diameter.”
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