CINCINNATI, OH — On Saturday, October 3, the Cincinnati Observatory’s Meet a Meteorite event returns, inviting visitors to touch real space rocks that survived a fiery plunge through Earth’s atmosphere. Local collectors will bring meteorites from their collections, alongside “meteor-wrongs,” the earthbound look-alikes that are often mistaken for the real thing.
Visitors will learn how meteorites are found and identified, where they come from, and what they reveal about the asteroids, planets, and early Solar System that formed them. Through engaging talks and hands-on demonstrations, guests have a rare chance to connect with 4.5-billion-year-old history, one meteorite at a time.
“There’s nothing quite like holding something that formed at the dawn of the Solar System,” says Dr. Wes Ryle, Astronomer at the Cincinnati Observatory. “Meet a Meteorite gives people the chance to handle these objects, ask questions of the collectors who found them, and learn how to tell a true meteorite from a rock that only looks the part.”
This year’s guest speaker is Dr. Claire McLeod, a geoscientist and professor at Miami University who studies rocks from Earth, the Moon, and beyond. Her talk, “Reaching for the Moon: Lunar Geology, Human Exploration, and Ohio’s Legacy,” will explore what meteorites and lunar samples can tell us about planetary volcanoes, the history of the Moon, and the materials that make up our solar system. Through her research and teaching, Dr. McLeod brings a unique perspective on how these ancient rocks help us understand our place in the cosmos.
For those looking to start their own collection, the observatory will have small specimens for sale starting at just $10. If skies are clear, visitors may also get a look through the observatory’s historic 1845 Merz & Mahler telescope.
The event runs from 6 to 9 pm on Saturday, October 3. Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for children and observatory members. Walk-ins are also welcome. More information and registration are available at www.cincinnatiobservatory.org.
ABOUT THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY
The Cincinnati Observatory is known as The Birthplace of American Astronomy. It houses one of the oldest working telescopes in the world and was the first public observatory in the western hemisphere. Visit www.cincinnatiobservatory.org for more details.
