New Delhi: Every year, June 30 is observed as World Asteroid Day, commemorating the Tunguska event of 1908 — a powerful asteroid explosion over Siberia, Russia, that flattened nearly 2,000 square kilometers of forest. The event remains the largest recorded asteroid impact in recent history, releasing energy comparable to 185 Hiroshima bombs.
The United Nations General Assembly officially designated June 30 as International Asteroid Day through resolution A/RES/71/90 in December 2016. The aim: to raise global awareness about asteroid risks and the importance of space science in planetary defence.
The Tunguska Impact: A Wake-Up Call
Despite its catastrophic scale, the Tunguska explosion received little immediate attention due to its remote location. A proper scientific expedition wasn’t launched until 1927 — nearly two decades later — but the impact evidence was unmistakable: shockwave destruction, heat-blasted trees, and scorched Earth.
Purpose of Asteroid Day
World Asteroid Day encourages global cooperation to detect, track, and deflect potentially hazardous asteroids. It emphasizes the need for space investment, research, and innovation to safeguard the planet from future impacts.
Looking Ahead: 2029 Declared International Year of Asteroid Awareness
The UN has declared 2029 as the International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence, aligning with the rare close approach of asteroid 99942 Apophis. On April 13, 2029, Apophis will pass within 32,000 kilometers of Earth—closer than some satellites—and will be visible to the naked eye in parts of Europe, Africa, and Western Asia.
Scientific Breakthroughs: NASA’s DART Mission
NASA has already made strides in planetary defence through the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission. DART was the first space mission to test the kinetic impactor technique, aiming to alter an asteroid’s path by crashing a spacecraft into it