Exploring Space Lecture: The Origin of Earth's Oceans

Seventy-one percent of Earth’s surface is covered in oceans, but did you ever wonder why? Join Kathy Mandt from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center as she discusses where Earth's ocean water came from and how we know. Results from the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission to the Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko suggested that maybe Earth's water didn't come from comets as previously believed. Mandt will share part of the scientific journey to understanding the OG ocean world, Earth! 

Kathy Mandt is a planetary scientist working in the Goddard Planetary Systems Laboratory. Her research covers a broad range of topics including the origin and evolution of volatiles throughout the solar system and the role of dynamics, chemistry and atmospheric evolution in understanding this. She has spent more than a decade working on planetary missions including ground calibration, operations planning, data analysis and inflight calibration.  

This program will be presented in-person at the National Air and Space Museum in DC and will be streamed live on the Museum's YouTube channel. 

ASL interpretation will be provided for the in-person event. ASL interpretation and live captioning will be provided on YouTube. If you require another access service to fully participate or have any questions about accessibility, please contact [email protected]. To ensure the best experience, please try to contact us at your soonest convenience.

Lecture attendees are invited to arrive early at 7 pm to explore the first-floor galleries of the Museum. After the lecture, attendees can join our astronomy educators outside the Independence Avenue entrance for pop-up stargazing (weather permitting).

Sponsored by Aerojet Rocketdyne: an L3Harris Technologies Company and United Launch Alliance.