World Asteroid Day 2022: Know about history, significance and Tunguska event

New Delhi, June 30: World Asteroid Day 2022 (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?

In December 2016 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/71/90, declaring 30 June 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."

International Asteroid Day aims to raise public awareness about the 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.

The General Assembly's decision was made based on a proposal by the Association of Space Explorers, which was endorsed by Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

How it started

Asteroid Day 2022 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.