Asteroid Day: The hidden dangers and delights of space rocks

International Asteroid Day is here to amplify our curiosity about those mysterious (and dangerous) space rocks.

Observed every year on 30 June, the day was designed to educate the public – those of us without a scientific bone in our bodies – about the benefits and threats of asteroids.

And since these space rocks are remnants of the early solar system, it also gives us a glimpse into the history of the universe.

Asteroid Day 2023

International Asteroid Day is bound to deepen our understanding of these fascinating celestial bodies which have both shaped and threatened our planet.

For example, the ancient green comet which swung by our neck of the space woods in February 2023 only passes Earth every 40 000 years or so.

The last time the green comet visited our solar system, Neanderthals still walked the Earth.

It goes without saying, we won’t see it again in our lifetime.

Different sizes

Asteroids have orbited around our solar system 10 of millions of years, a rough estimation, give or take a few million years.

These space rocks vary significantly in size – anything from as small as 10 meters to a staggering 500 meters across.

WATCH: What are they?

Fun fact, even if you combined the mass of the asteroids currently know to us (and there are a lot), their total mass would still be less than our Moon.

Famous asteroids

Earth’s love-hate relationship with Asteroids began around 65 million years ago when a massive space rock crashed into what is Yucatan, Mexico.

Chicxulub impact

This event is known as the Chicxulub impact, and it’s widely believed to have played a significant role in the extinction of the dinosaurs.

The crater it left behind measures approximately 150km in size, and the force of the impact was so astronomical (bad pun intended) that it formed a mountain rim similar to the Himalayas.

Tunguska Event

A more recent event forever etched into our history books is the Tunguska Event of 1908 in Siberia. It’s still the most significant asteroid impact of our time.

It resulted in a 12-megaton explosion (the energy equivalent to about 185 Hiroshima bombs) which flattened millions of trees over an area of 2 150 square kilometres.

Chelyabinsk incident

The most recent asteroid event was the Chelyabinsk incident over the southern Ural region in Russia on 15 February 2013, when an asteroid explode in the atmosphere.

The asteroid measured about 18 metres in diameter, and while small, the light from that meteor was brighter than the Sun and visible as far as 100km away.

WATCH: Chelyabinsk asteroid explosion

READ: Transporter-8: SpaceX sends world’s first ‘space factory’ into orbit

Asteroid Day: How to participate

• Attend the globally held events at universities, museums, and schools – in person or virutally.
• Host your own local gatherings.
• Throw a themed party, complete with space decorations and snacks.
• Watch an space-themed movie.
  • 51 Degrees North was co-created by the International Asteroid Day founders, which explores the scenario of an asteroid striking London.
  • My personal favourites include Deep Impact, Armageddon, Greenland, and Seeking A Friend for the End of the World.

READ: Is there life beyond Earth? Alien clue found on Asteroid Ryugu