International Asteroid Day 2024

International Asteroid Day (IAD) is a global event organized by the United Nations (UN) to raise awareness about the dangers of asteroid impacts. It is observed every year on June 30th to educate the public about the risks posed by Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and the measures in place to handle potential threats.

Background:

1. On December 6, 2016, the UN General Assembly declared June 30 as International Asteroid Day through resolution A/RES/71/90. This initiative was proposed by the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) and supported by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

2. The first International Asteroid Day was celebrated on June 30, 2017.

Why June 30?

June 30 was chosen to mark the anniversary of the Tunguska event, which happened in Siberia, Russia, in 1908. This event is known as the largest recorded asteroid impact on Earth. The asteroid, estimated to be 70 meters in size, exploded and flattened around 830 square miles of forest.

Co-founders:

International Asteroid Day, recognized by the UN, was co-founded in 2014 by:

• Dr. Brian May, an English astrophysicist and guitarist from the rock band Queen.
• Russell L. (Rusty) Schweickart, an American astronaut who was the Lunar Module pilot on the Apollo 9 mission.
• Grig Richters, a German filmmaker.
• Danica Remy, the President and CEO of the B612 Foundation.

Near-Earth Objects (NEOs):

1. NEOs are asteroids or comets that come close to Earth’s orbit and can pose significant threats to our planet.
2. Asteroids, also known as minor planets, are rocky remnants from the early solar system, formed about 4.6 billion years ago.

Note: Out of over 730,000 known asteroids, around 16,000 are classified as NEOs, and 1,784 of these are considered potentially hazardous.

Global Response:

1. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) treats NEO impact hazards as a global concern.

2. Addressing these hazards involves two main tasks:

   • Identifying objects that could be dangerous.
   • Planning strategies to mitigate these threats.

3. These efforts require international cooperation to ensure public safety.

4. Based on recommendations from COPUOS in 2013, two key groups were established in 2014:

   • The International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), which helps analyze impact consequences and plan responses.
   • The Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG), an inter-agency forum that identifies technologies for deflecting NEOs and builds consensus on planetary defense measures.

The Chelyabinsk Event:

1. On February 15, 2013, a large fireball, known as a superbolide, entered the atmosphere at a speed of 18.6 kilometers per second and disintegrated over Chelyabinsk.
2. NASA estimated the asteroid’s diameter to be 18 meters and its mass to be 11,000 tons.
3. The total impact energy was about 440 kilotons of TNT.
4. The Chelyabinsk event was the most powerful impact since the Tunguska event in 1908.