The 7th annual Asteroid Day will be held on June 30; today, we’ll reveal more details about this event. Read to the end of the article to learn more about the Star Walk 2 sale!
To expand your knowledge about asteroids, you can also take our asteroids quiz.
What is Asteroid Day?
Asteroid Day is a global information campaign aimed to educate people about the risks of asteroid impacts. The United Nations officially sanctioned it in 2016. Asteroid Day events are hosted around the Earth by thousands of independent Asteroid Day Event Organizers.
When is Asteroid Day?
Asteroid Day is held annually on June 30. This date is dedicated to the most harmful asteroid-related event in the Earth’s recent history — the Siberian Tunguska event.
The largest asteroid impact
The Siberian Tunguska event was the massive explosion that took place on June 30, 1908, near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in central Siberia, Russia. Presumably, this explosion was caused by an asteroid around 150–300 feet (50–100 meters) in diameter. The energy of this explosion is estimated to be a thousand times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.
How to participate in Asteroid Day?
Asteroid Day events are held worldwide, except in North Korea. You can find an event for your location using the map on the Asteroid Day website. Better check the website in advance: although it’s recommended to arrange an event on June 30, event organizers can pick another date close to it. Also, some events are held only online.
If you prefer to stay home, on any day from June 1 to July 4, you can watch Asteroid Day TV. It features such broadcasts as “The Case for Mapping the Asteroids” or “TED All About Asteroids Hour”. Asteroid Day LIVE — the main broadcast with asteroid content and commentary from astronauts, experts, and celebrities — goes live on June 30, at 12:00 EDT (16:00 GMT).
One more way to participate is to sign the Asteroid Day declaration officially named the 100X Declaration. It calls for increasing the asteroid discovery rate by 100,000 (or 100x) per year within the next ten years.
The Asteroid Day founders made such a declaration because the current rate of discovered asteroids with a potential to impact the Earth is too low. More than one million asteroids can possibly hit our planet; however, we have detected only about one percent of them. The declaration appeals to scientists mainly, but everyone can take part and sign it.
Each Asteroid Day is a noteworthy event for those concerned about asteroid impacts and science and space lovers in general. We’ve also decided to take part in the event by arranging a big sale: from June 28 to July 2, you can get the paid Star Walk 2 for up to 70% off! Note that there is no difference between Star Walk 2 (paid) and Star Walk 2 Free in terms of content. If you downloaded and removed ads from Star Walk 2 Free, there is no need to buy Star Walk 2. Don’t miss your chance!
Wishing you non-asteroids skies and happy observations!
