World Asteroid Day 2021: Know about history, significance and Tunguska event

New Delhi, June 30: World Asteroid Day (also known as International Asteroid Day) is marked and celebrated globally on June 30 every year. It is usually observed in order to raise public awareness about asteroid's hazardous effect and the measures that should be taken in case of a near-Earth object threat.

Why Asteroid Day?

The mission is to educate the public about the risks and opportunities of asteroids year-round by hosting events, providing educational resources and regular communications to our global audience on multiple digital platforms.

How it started...

Asteroid Day was co-founded by astrophysicist and famed musician Dr Brian May of the rock group Queen, Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, filmmaker Grig Richters, and B612 Foundation President Danica Remy, to educate the public about the importance of asteroids -their role in the formation of our solar system, their impact in space resources and the importance of defending our planet from future impacts. Asteroid Day is observed annually on 30 June to mark the date of Earth's largest asteroid impact in recorded history, the Siberia Tunguska event.

World Asteroid Day history

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."

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.

Events In 2021

World Asteroid Day 2021 events will take place fully online due to the pandemic, on all five continents and are in the process of being organised by local organisations.