Asteroid Foundation announces that Asteroid Day, the official United Nations’ day of global awareness created to educate the world about opportunities and risks asteroids present, will celebrate worldwide leading up to 30 June with thousands of independent Asteroid Day events and in Luxembourg.

Asteroid Day was co-founded in 2014 by musician Dr. Brian May of QUEEN; Apollo 9 Astronaut Rusty Schweickart; Filmmaker Grig Richters; and B612 President Danica Remy, to promote awareness and provide knowledge to the public about the importance of asteroids in our solar system history, and the role they play today and in the future. Events are scheduled leading up to 30 June, the date of the largest asteroid impact on the earth in recorded history (Tunguska).

In 2016, the United Nations declared Asteroid Day an international day of education and awareness initiated in part, following the 15 February 2013 meteor impact in Chelyabinsk, Russia.

“Asteroid Day was created to encourage the public and governments to learn more about asteroids and to support resources necessary to find and deflect asteroids,” explains Dr. Brian May. 

Through the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA), which leads the SpaceResources.lu initiative that has been instrumental in the expansion of Asteroid Day, Marc Serres, CEO of LSA states “Luxembourg is proud to be headquarters for Asteroid Day and to aid in inspiring countries around the world to participate in this United Nations Day.”

“SES has been supporting Aste
roid Day for several years, and we are proud to again join efforts with other partners on this campaign to enable raising awareness about asteroids and space,” said Ruy Pinto, Chief Technology Officer at SES.

Globally, thousands of events are independently organized. Highlights from a few of 2019 are here. The public can learn how to organize an Asteroid Day with the Asteroid Day Event Toolkit.

Asteroid Day themes range from the science of asteroids in the formation of our solar system to discussions of new space industries accelerating technologies to advance space-based activities. Current missions advancing efforts develop greater detection, tracking and deflection techniques: DART and HERA the first demonstration of a kinetic impact technique to change the motion of an asteroid in space; (NASA/ESA); and two sample return missions: Hayabusa 2, (JAXA); and OSIRIS-REx (NASA) along with the new NEO-Mapp project.

Asteroid Day TV returns, with expanded 24 hour a day programming over 30 days with content and commentary from experts, astronauts/cosmonauts, scientists, physicists, educators, and government officials and special guests, with SES support.

Asteroid Day LIVE, which debuted 2017 is the only general public global conversation about asteroids. It is broadcast from BCE in Luxembourg.  

Asteroid Day LIVE and Asteroid Day TV is distributed via satellite, available on local channels subscribing to SES satellite network, and via Asteroid Day website, and 2017, 2018 and 2019 LIVE shows are available online.

2020 ASTEROID DAY Events

  • 1 June: Asteroid Day TV starts broadcasting online and via SES Satellites 
  • 26 June: Asteroid Day LIVE Global Broadcast 
  • 30 June: Events organized worldwide(most are public).

About Asteroid Foundation
Asteroid Day was founded in 2014 to promote awareness and provide knowledge about the opportunities and risks asteroids present. Partners include: Association of Space Explorers, B612, OHB SE, SES, BCE, EC GROUP, and Luxembourg Space Agency. Asteroid Day programs, including Asteroid Day LIVE, Asteroid Day TV are programs of Asteroid Foundation.

A Media Kit, including quotes, photos available in Asteroid Day Newsroom. 2019 Asteroid Day Luxembourg photos available.