Asteroid Impact Interactive Simulator

Outline

The session will begin with a brief introduction to asteroid science and near-Earth objects, highlighting real NASA data sources and the importance of understanding impact risks. Participants will then observe a live demonstration of the Asteroid Impact simulator, exploring its 2D and 3D visualizations, adjustable parameters such as diameter, velocity, and trajectory, and surface detection features that identify land or water impacts and affected countries. The presenter will guide attendees through example scenarios, showing how changes in variables affect outcomes, and invite quick audience reflection through polls or show-of-hands questions to connect prior experience and curiosity with the simulation’s capabilities.

Participants will then engage hands-on with the simulator, customizing their own asteroid scenarios using laptops or tablets. They will analyze the effects of different impact parameters on populations and geography, generate shareable scenario links, and collaborate by swapping simulations with peers to compare results and discuss insights. The session will also explore strategies for integrating the tool into classroom lessons, including cross-curricular applications in science, math, and geography, while emphasizing accessibility features like multilingual support and color-blind palettes. The final portion will focus on reflection and Q&A, reinforcing skills in computational thinking, data analysis, and creative communication, and allowing participants to brainstorm ways to adapt immersive STEM simulations for their own learners. Throughout the 60-minute session, engagement is maintained through interactive exploration, peer collaboration, device-based activities, and discussion prompts that ensure participants leave with concrete ideas and practical skills for classroom implementation.

Outcomes

After this session, participants will be able to interactively simulate asteroid impacts using real NASA data, analyze how variables such as size, velocity, and location affect outcomes, and interpret results in terms of population risk and geographic impact. Attendees will also create shareable simulation scenarios, explore 2D and 3D visualizations, and design classroom activities that integrate immersive STEM experiences, making space science concepts accessible and engaging for diverse learners.

Supporting research

Cermak, A. (2025, 5 may). Asteroid Facts. NASA Science. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/facts/ National Map Training. (n. d.). USGS. https://www.usgs.gov/programs/national-geospatial-program/national-map-training OpenStreetMap. (n. d.). OpenStreetMap. https://www.openstreetmap.org/ Sketchfab. (n. d.). Asteroid 2b Game Model - Download Free 3D model by Game Piggs (@GamePiggs). https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/asteroid-2b-game-model-37fe10832d654463bfd0094167c10a2a Small-Body Database lookup. (n. d.). https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/ Solar System scope. (n. d.). Solar System Scope. https://www.solarsystemscope.com/textures/