It is June 30 and worldwide, this day is celebrated as International Asteroid Day or World Asteroid Day. Wondering why and what significance does it have? WhatTheFAQ by EdexLive is here to decode all these details. On this note, let's start off by discussing what an asteroid is. Varying in sizes and shapes, residing in the inner Solar System, orbiting around the sun, an asteroid is a minor planet that consists of metallic or rocky bodies with no atmosphere.
Before we get into the details about this, do you know when was the first asteroid discovered and what are the different types of asteroids and what is the significance and history of World Asteroid Day? Let's get started with interpreting these details...
When was the first asteroid discovered and by whom?
Centuries back, it was in 1801 when Ceres, the first asteroid, was discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi on January 1, 1801. Ceres was found in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It is the largest one with a diameter of about 1,000 km, so much so that it has been qualified as a dwarf planet.
How are asteroids classified?
The asteroids are classified into three types, namely, C-type, M-type and S-type. These are named like this based on how they were identified with carbonaceous, metallic, and silicaceous compositions.
What does history say about International Asteroid Day?
In order to spread awareness about the impact of the Tunguska asteroid in and around Siberia in 1908, the United Nations General Assembly in December 2016 passed a resolution A/RES/71/90 nominating June 30 as World Asteroid Day.
But first, it was the Association of Space Explorers that initiated the purpose of marking the anniversary of the impact the Tunguska asteroid had.
What is the Tunguska asteroid incident all about?
It was a 12 megaton explosion which happened near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Yeniseysk Governorate, Russia, on the morning of June 30, 1908. This massive incident is considered the biggest asteroid impact the Earth ever experienced.
What is the significance of this day?
The main aim of this day is to make people aware of the hazardous impact of asteroids and create awareness about crisis communication action which should be done at a global level.
How is it celebrated?
Many organisations which work towards serving this purpose of creating awareness about asteroids' hazardous effects conduct social campaigns, awareness events, and public rallies to celebrate World Asteroid Day. Besides these, recently with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital campaigns are on in full swing.
Speaking of all things space...
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be launching the second dedicated commercial mission of its commercial arm NewSpace India. PSLV-C53 will carry three satellites from Singapore on June 30.
PSLV-C53 is designed to orbit the DS-EO satellites along with two other co-passenger satellites from Singapore for its 55th mission.
