Celebrating 10 Years of Asteroid Day: A Decade of Exploration and Discovery
Celebrating 10 Years of Asteroid Day: A Decade of Exploration and Discovery https://asteroidday-uploads.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/19113823/second-.jpg 1472 832 Asteroid Day https://asteroidday-uploads.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/19113823/second-.jpg
Celebrating 10 Years of Asteroid Day: A Decade of Exploration and Discovery
In 2025, we will celebrate a special date: the 10th anniversary of Asteroid Day! A decade of discoveries, learnings and fascinating moments involving space rocks. Increasingly, the fear of the consequences of an impact gives way to confidence in our planetary defense and all the efforts made by scientists and experts around the world.
To mark this important moment, we invite those who have already participated in Asteroid Day at least once to relive their experiences, bringing their community closer to this fascinating topic once again.
We also reinforce our invitation to those who have participated every year, embracing Asteroid Day as an important part of their lives. It will be the perfect time to reflect on this journey and scrutinize new perspectives, while we celebrate this path of exploration and curiosity together!
We would like to help you plan educational, fun and stimulating events all year long! What exciting missions, anniversaries, observations and special moments are coming up in 2025? Check out this list with recommendations to help you plan your next event:
Special encounters and long-awaited launches – In March, ESA’s Hera probe, launched last year to analyze the impact of NASA’s DART probe on the asteroid Dimorphos, will fly past Mars to gain additional speed. This spacecraft will fly over the Martian moon Deimos to calibrate its instruments and make new scientific discoveries.
Deimos, where the Hera probe will pass before its final objective (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter / NASA-JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)
The Lucy probe is scheduled to fly by asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson in April. While this asteroid is not yet one of the mission’s main targets – the Jupiter Trojan asteroids – it promises to be a new moment for intriguing discoveries, as happened during its flyby of asteroid Dinkinesh.
The Chinese Tianwen-2 mission launch is also scheduled, aiming to visit asteroid 469219 Kamo’oalewa (2016 HO3) and collect samples from its surface using both touch-and-go and anchor-and-drill approaches. It will return the samples to Earth about 2.5 years after launch, with the main spacecraft continuing on to visit main-belt comet 311P/PANSTARRS in the middle of the next decade.
We are also looking forward to the launch of the Vestri mission from the asteroid-mining company AstroForge. This mission will aim to dock with an asteroid near Earth to assess the quality of its resources for future extraction.
These new chapters in asteroid exploration and study can be followed through events organised to watch their launches and the announcement of discoveries. Consider enhancing your event by setting up Mission to Asteroids posters, a huge success at Asteroid Day 2024, displayed in countries across four continents
Missions to Asteroids posters assembled at the Asteroid Day events in Italy (left) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (right) in 2024 (StarDust / Astronomsko Društvo Polaris)
Great chance to see Vesta – Early May will be your best opportunity to observe an asteroid in real time. Vesta, the brightest object in the Main Belt as seen from Earth, will reach its closest distance and brightest brightness of the year!
Binoculars will be sufficient to observe it. Use this moment to teach your audience how to know the best time to observe an asteroid, how the first asteroids were discovered and why many asteroids like Vesta are named after characters in mythology.
Vesta’s trajectory through the stars of Libra in the first days of May (in-the-sky.org)
100 years of a champion – It’s always good to highlight scientists and asteroid scholars to inspire new generations. In 2025 we have a very special date: the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dutch–American astronomer and asteroid discoverer Tom Gehrels. He, together with the couple Cornelis and Ingrid van Houten, discovered more than 4,600 asteroids, a spectacular amount!
They are the greatest references for those who dedicate their time to searching for asteroids, whether through sky surveys or through collaborative campaigns. There is no doubt that Gehrels’ magnificent work deserves to be highlighted at your events.
Tom Gehrels (1925-2011), one of the greatest asteroid discoverers of all time (University of Arizona / Sky & Telescope).
Don’t miss these conferences and symposia – The public will have a great opportunity to learn about the research and exploration of asteroids and interact with experts. The 9th IAA Planetary Defence Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, and the Space Resources Week 2025 in Luxembourg, both in May, will be held. Similar events can be seen in this list from the Lunar and Planetary Institute.
9th IAA Planetary Defense Conference in South Africa and the Space Resources Week in Luxembourg, two unmissable events to stay up to date on planetary defense, asteroids and the use of their resources.
Dozens of ideas, endless possibilities – Check out this compilation of event ideas already published on our webpage. There are many options to inspire you and make an unforgettable participation in the 10 years of Asteroid Day:
- 10th Anniversary of the Chelyabinsk Meteor: Event Ideas for Asteroid Awareness
- 100 Years Since the Tunguska Expedition
- Asteroid Cartoons: How To Make Learning Fun
- Asteroid Day Contests: Stimulate Creativity
- Asteroid Day School Quiz
- Asteroids, Deities and Heroes
- Asteroid Meteor Showers – Organise A Watch Party
- Asteroid Word Search Puzzle Activity
- Build Your Own Asteroid
- Create a Unique Educational Asteroid Day Event with Music!
- ESA’s Hera Mission Launch – Take Advantage of this Excellent Opportunity to Host Your Next Event!
- Global Projects to Inspire Your Asteroid Awareness Events
- Hangman Game: Asteroid Version
- How to Host Virtual Events
- How to Take Great Pictures of Your Asteroid Day Event
- Learn About Asteroids with The Little Prince
- Learning About Asteroids with Documentaries
- Lights, Camera, Asteroids, Action! Explore Movies to Learn About Asteroids and Planetary Defence!
- Must-Read Books on Asteroids and Planetary Defence
- Observe the Moon and Learn Fascinating Insights About Asteroid Impacts!
- Reach Asteroids Using a Deck of Cards
- Spacecraft Paper Models: When Small Activities Inspire Big Ideas
- Space Inspiration: Asteroids in Modern Architecture & Design
- Test and Engage Your Audience with Exciting Quizzes About Asteroids!
- The Flavours of Asteroid Day
- The Taste of Asteroids: Delicious Ideas to Create in the Kitchen
Check out our event organiser toolkit (available in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese) for even more ideas! Once you have planned your event, register it on our website so you can be featured on our social media. Make sure to take photos and videos, then fill out an event report to get the chance to have a custom article written about your organisation on our website!
