Luxembourg will host an Asteroid Day
Luxembourg is celebrating Asteroid Day on June 30 and July 1. A great science festival will take place. Astronauts and scientists will visit educational centres to talk about the nature of space objects, how they behave and the real threat they pose.
But these are not just scare stories. They are an opportunity to think about how vulnerable we are to the power of space and what could happen if a fictitious Tunguska meteorite fell in a densely populated part of the planet.
Astrophysicists, engineers and other scientists who study the trajectories and sizes of asteroids and comets every day will give many talks during the festival. Anyone interested in space can attend an "Asteroid Day Space Lecture" at the Tramsschapp Sports and cultural centre in Luxembourg from 16:00 to 18:00.
History of Asteroid Day
Asteroid Day was founded by physicist and musician Dr Brian May, Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, filmmaker Grig Richters and B612 Foundation President Danica Remy. They wanted to highlight the importance of the asteroid hazard. They also wanted to show how critical it is to study and research this area of science.
Asteroid Day is celebrated on June 30 — the United Nations' official day for public awareness of the risks of asteroid impacts. This day is also marked by the largest impact of an asteroid on the Earth in the history of mankind, the Siberia Tunguska event. On and around this day, celebrations were held in various countries around the world. They can be organised by museums, universities, and even volunteers or space enthusiasts to communicate and educate people of all ages. Most of these events are free of charge. It could be lectures, concerts, festivals or other activities.
Asteroids are astronomical objects that orbit the Sun, like the planets of the Solar System. They differ in size, some of them could be 1 metre in diameter, and some of them could reach the diameter of a dwarf planet, like 1000 km. Most of them are located in the belt between Mars and Jupiter. But some of them pass through the Earth's orbit.
