World Asteroid Day (June 30): History, Significance, Theme and Celebrations
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| Photo: Asteroid Day Organization |
World Asteroid Day or International Asteroid Day is observed globally on June 30. Asteroid Day aims to raise public awareness about asteroid impact hazard and to inform the public about the crisis communication actions to be taken at the global level in case of a credible near-Earth object threat.
What are Asteroids?
Asteroids are small rocky body that orbits around the sun. Mostly, they are found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter but some have more eccentric orbits. So, we can say that asteroids are rocky-metallic objects which range in size from about the size of pebbles to around 600 miles across. They are so small that they are not considered as planets but they orbit Sun. They are also known as the leftover material of the Solar System. Do you know that several hundred thousand asteroids are known to exist in our Solar System and many are yet to be discovered? Some asteroids are so small that they are difficult to detect.
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World Asteroid Day: History
In December 2016, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution A/RES/71/90 and declared 30 June as International Asteroid Day to observe annually the anniversary of the Tunguska impact over Siberia, Russian Federation, on 30 June, 1908 at an international level to raise awareness about the hazardous impact of Asteroids. Let us tell you that the General Assembly's decision was made on the basis of a proposal made by the Association of Space Explorers, which was endorsed by Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).
Asteroid Day was co-founded by astrophysicist and lead guitarist of QUEEN Dr. Brian May together with Danica Remy, President of B612 Foundation, Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9 Astronaut, and filmmaker Grig Richters, to promote awareness and provide knowledge to the general public about the importance of asteroids in the formation of our universe and the role they play in our solar system today.
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| Photo: Asteroid Day Organization |
World Asteroid Day: Significance
There is an organization named B612 that works towards protecting the Earth from asteroid impacts, informing and forwarding worldwide decision making on planetary defense issues. This day has been observed since 2017 after the UN general assembly implemented resolution A/RES/71/90 in December 2016.
Giving an insidht with regard to the importance of the day, Marc Scheper, Head of Space Transportation, Robotic Missions and Exploration in an official release said, "Asteroid Day rightly demands that asteroids must be discovered since they pose a risk to our planet from time to time. The combination of NASA's deflection mission DART and ESA's mission HERA allows us to find out how asteroid deflection works and, at the same time, learn more about these celestial bodies. I am proud that OHB is the designated industrial prime for the HERA mission".
This year all events and discussions pertaining to this day will be held virtually due to the widespread impact of the global coronavirus pandemic.
How is World Asteroid Day celebrated in the world?
The day is observed to spread awareness among people about the intensity and impact that an asteroid can have when it crashes on planet Earth. Further, the day also stresses upon makmg people aware of other objects that can be harmful as and when they strike the Earth.
100x Declaration
To initially launch the Asteroid Day education programmes in 2014, members of the asteroid community drafted and released a petition to gather public support for asteroid education and called on governments to accelerate the funding of asteroid discovery programmes. Today, this petition, the 100x Declaration, has been signed by hundreds of prominent individuals around the world, including leaders in science, technology, and business, and more than 125 astronauts.
30 June – UN Sanctioned Asteroid Day
In 2016, with the leadership of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE), the United Nations declared 30 June as International Asteroid Day in order to “observe each year at the international level the anniversary of the Tunguska impact over Siberia, Russian Federation, on 30 June 1908, and to raise public awareness about the asteroid impact hazard.”
Independently Organized Global Events
Asteroid Day events are held around the world annually on or around 30 June. These events are largely independently organized by museums, space agencies, universities, clubs and enthusiastic educators around the world for people of all ages and mostly free-of-charge. Events range from lectures and to short story contests to live concerts and broader community events. Learn more about hosting Asteroid Day events.
Asteroid Foundation
The Asteroid Day website and activities became an official programme of Asteroid Foundation after it was established in 2017. Asteroid Foundation’s mission is to promote worldwide awareness of the opportunities and challenges surrounding asteroids, and the emerging space economy. In addition to running the Asteroid Day programs above, the Foundation manages local programs including the Asteroid Day Gala and Technical briefings in Luxembourg as well a undertaking other year-round programme of activities.
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