International Asteroid Day

International Asteroid Day

International Asteroid Day is observed on June 30th annually, designated by the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/71/90). The main goal is to raise awareness on the potential threats the Earth faces from space, informing the population on the precautions that should be put in place, and to let the public know about the communication actions that should be taken at a global scale in case of a near-Earth object (NEO) threat. The importance of the day is educating and preparing the population for Asteroid or other types of disasters from space.

Interesting Facts and Information

• June 30 was selected to commemorate the 1908 Tunguska asteroid impact in Siberia, Russia Federation. It was a relatively small asteroid, around 40 meters across that eradicated an area the size of a major city.
• Asteroid Day is a program run by the Asteroid Foundation, which is a Luxembourg non-profit organization, and has events that are mostly free-of-charge.
• The beginnings of the International Asteroid Day started in 2014, when Asteroid Day was co-founded by Brain May (astrophysicist and lead guitarist of QUEEN), Danica Remy (President of B612 Foundation), Rusty Schweickart (Apollo 9 astronaut) and Grigorij S. Richters (filmmaker).
• During 2014, the “Asteroid Declaration” was drafted and released to gather public and governmental support. The Asteroid Declaration has recollected thousands of signatures worldwide up to this date.
• On December 2016, the United Nations Assembly adopted the resolutions A/RES/71/90, which declared June 30 the official International Asteroid Day.
• During this International Asteroid Day, hundreds of events are being organized by different associations across the globe to celebrate the day. The events are designed for a public of all ages, from educational to entertainment, such as lectures and concerts.