Andrew Tomkins – The Conversation

Artist’s impression. Oliver Hull

September 16, 2024

Hidden craters reveal Earth may once have had a ring – like Saturn

Andrew Tomkins, Monash University

Mounting evidence suggests the rubble of an asteroid once formed a ring orbiting our planet’s equator.

Nick Wilson

September 12, 2022

Folded diamond has been discovered in a rare type of meteorite. How is this possible?

Andrew Tomkins, Monash University; Alan Salek, RMIT University, and Dougal McCulloch, RMIT University

An unusual folded shape in a meteorite prompted scientists to dive deep into a rabbit hole – discovering a potential new way to make specially shaped diamonds in the lab.

Much of Mars’s surface is covered by fine-grained materials that hide the bedrock. The above bedrock is mostly exposed and it is in these areas that micrometeorites likely to accumulate. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

September 5, 2019

Tiny specks in space could be the key to finding martian life

Andrew Tomkins, Monash University

It’s established Mars was once a planet with surface-level water. So with multiple MARS missions starting next year, the key to seeking out martian life may instead lie in the contents of its ‘dust’.

Those tiny streaks sometimes land, and they can tell us a lot about the sky. rwarrin/Flickr

May 13, 2016

What a tiny micrometeorite from the Pilbara can tell us about the ancient sky

Andrew Tomkins, Monash University

Hunting for meteorites in the vast Pilbara is hard work, but even a tiny speck can tell us a great deal about the sky billions of years ago.

Contact Andrew for