International Asteroid Day 2024: Date, history, significance

International Asteroid Day 2024: The universe is full of surprises, and asteroids are one of them. They are neither planets nor comets. Asteroids are objects, either metallic, or icy bodies, or rocks that spin the orbit within an inner solar system. Asteroids do not have an atmosphere of their own and they vary in shape and sizes as well.

Sometimes, an asteroid can be as small as a small rubble pile to as big as a dwarf planet with 1000 kilometres of diameter. However, asteroids can cause severe damage if they enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Creating awareness about asteroid impact and how hazardous it can get is essential. To make people understand, International Asteroid Day is observed every year.

Every year, International Asteroid Day is observed on June 30.(Unsplash)

As we gear up to observe the important day, here are a few things to keep in mind.