Every year on June 30th, the world observes World Asteroid Day.
The day is celebrated to raise awareness about asteroids’ negative consequences on Earth. It also focuses on the precautions to be taken to mitigate the risks and damages.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has recognized this particular day as the anniversary of the Tunguska impact over Siberia.
Tunguska is the largest asteroid to have ever collided with the Earth.
Every year on this day, independent Asteroid Day Event Organizers organize events all across the world.
The objective behind World Asteroid Day events is to inspire, engage, and educate people about the potential and threats associated with asteroids.
Asteroids are tiny, rock-like objects that rotate around the Sun. These asteroids are largely remainings of Solar System material that are found between Mars and Jupiter’s orbits.
An asteroid might be anywhere from the size of a pebble to over 600 miles across. Experts believe that there are roughly a hundred thousand asteroids in our Solar System. In December 2016, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution A/RES/71/90 declaring June 30th as World Asteroid Day.
On the proposal of the Association of Space Explorers and the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), the decision was made.
On this day, ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency), Roscosmos (Russia), ISRO (India), and NASA (USA) arrange events to educate people about the impact of asteroids and meteors, particularly those that enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
