World Asteroid Day 2025: Date, history, significance and 5 major asteroid incidents

Asteroid coming towards Earth (Representative Image - Canva)

The world pauses on 30 June to look skyward. People mark World Asteroid Day, remembering the massive asteroid explosion over Siberia in 1908. The Tunguska event flattened 2,000 square kilometres of forest. Its force matched nearly 185 Hiroshima bombs, leaving behind a lasting scar on Earth’s history.

A Day to Raise Awareness

The remote location meant the event went unnoticed for years. A scientific team only reached the site 19 years later, in 1927. They found shattered trees and burn marks, clear signs of the asteroid’s impact.

World Asteroid Day raises awareness of space rock risks. It advocates for improved research on the detection and deflection of asteroids. The day also calls for investment in space science and security. This year, the global campaign is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Other Asteroid Incidents in History

• Tunguska is not alone in making headlines. There are a number of others that have made history. The Chelyabinsk meteor went off in Russia in 2013, injuring over 1,600 individuals as shockwaves broke windows.
• The Chicxulub asteroid, approximately 10 kilometres wide, hit Earth 66 million years ago. This collision destroyed the dinosaurs and caused global climate shifts.
• The Arizona, USA, Meteor Crater is around 50,000 years old. A 50-metre-wide iron meteorite formed the 1.2-kilometre-wide crater present today.
• The asteroid 2008 TC3 was the very first space rock ever to be discovered prior to its impact on Earth. It exploded over Sudan in 2008, scattering meteorites across the desert.
• The Sulawesi meteorite event in Indonesia in 2009 also caught attention. It exploded with a force similar to 50,000 tonnes of TNT but caused no injuries.

UN Declares 2029 Year of Asteroid Awareness

The United Nations formally adopted Asteroid Day in 2016. The decision followed a proposal from the Association of Space Explorers. It was backed by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

Looking ahead, the UN has declared 2029 the International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence. That year will see asteroid 99942 Apophis fly closer than some satellites. On 13 April 2029, Apophis will pass just 32,000 kilometres from Earth.

Apophis, about 340 metres wide, will be visible to the naked eye. People in Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia will witness it race across the night sky. Scientists expect its orbit to shift slightly after the close pass.

Planetary Defence Gains Momentum

NASA’s DART mission tested ways to protect Earth from asteroids. The mission proved a spacecraft could deflect an asteroid by smashing into it. This marks a key step in planning for future space threats.

The focus now is on using such missions and growing public awareness. The aim is to better prepare the world for any potential asteroid danger.