International Asteroid Day 2020 – Date, Significance
- World Asteroid Day or International Asteroid Day is observed globally on June 30. Asteroid Day aims to raise public awareness about 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.
- World Asteroid Day is observed globally each year at the anniversary of the Tunguska impact over Siberia, Russian Federation, on June 30, 1908, and to raise public awareness about the asteroid impact hazard.
- Asteroid Day, the official United Nations’ day of global awareness and education about asteroids, will celebrate its sixth year today -June 30.
- 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 President Danica Remy, to promote awareness and provide knowledge to the general public about the importance of asteroids in our solar system history, and the role they play in our solar system today.
- On 15 February 2013, a large fireball (technically, called a “superbolide”), traveling at a velocity of 18.6 kilometers per second, entered the atmosphere and disintegrated in the skies over Chelyabinsk.
- According to NASA, the approximate effective diameter of the asteroid was estimated at 18 meters and its mass at 11,000 tons. The approximate total impact energy of the Chelyabinsk Fireball, in kilotons of TNT explosives (the energy parameter usually quoted for a fireball), was 440 kilotons.
- The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) has worked on NEOs for many years, recognising a NEO impact hazard as a global issue demanding an international response. Addressing such a hazard, including the identification of those objects that pose a threat of impact and planning a corresponding mitigation campaign, requires cooperative action in the interest of public safety on the part of the global community.
- The Chelyabinsk event was an extraordinarily large fireball, the most energetic impact event recognized since the 1908 Tunguska blast in Russian Siberia.
- World Asteroid Day 2020 events will take place on all five continents and are in the process of being organized by local organizations.
List of the countries to observe World Asteroid Day-
1. Europe:
- Luxembourg
- Austria
- Greece
- UK
2. North America:
- Washington, DC
3. In South America:
- Chile
- Argentina
- Brazil
4. Africa:
- Egypt
5. Asia:
- India
- Turkey
- Israel
Since the world is witnessing the Covid-19 pandemic the World Asteroid Day 2020 themes range from the science of asteroids in the formation of our solar system to discussions of new space industries accelerating technologies to advance space-based activities.
About UNOOSA-
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs is tasked with promoting the peaceful use and exploration of space through international cooperation.
- Founded – 13 December 1958
- Headquarters– Vienna, Austria
- Director– Simonetta Di Pippo (Italy)
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