The International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence

In December 2024, the United Nations proclaimed 2029 as the International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence. This recognition highlights the importance of learning about these celestial bodies and finding ways to protect the Earth – its families, communities, future generations, and all living beings – from a catastrophic event.

It also seeks to deepen our knowledge of space threats, much like Asteroid Day, which has been celebrated annually on 30 June since 2016, also proclaimed by the United Nations. The date commemorates the 1908 Tunguska Event and promotes global discussions on planetary defence.

Asteroid Day will remain a focal point for educational campaigns and scientific events in the coming years. When combined with the initiatives stemming from the proclaimed international year, these joint efforts will naturally be enhanced.

Below are some suggestions for events to promote the International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence. These activities will help engage the public, expand their understanding of key issues, and set the stage for a celebration blending science, education, and reflection:

The importance of an International Year – When the United Nations proclaims an International Year, it brings significant attention to crucial matters, sparking increased awareness and collective action. It motivates governments, scientific and educational institutions, and society to discuss and pursue solutions to identified challenges.

Additionally, it encourages international co-operation, supporting the development of forward-thinking policies and technologies. It also prompts media coverage and private-sector engagement, extending the reach of educational efforts. In this way, an International Year can drive substantial progress in research, legislation, and real-world initiatives focusing on the highlighted theme.

This United Nations website lists all the official international years, allowing you to explore relevant examples and consider the results achieved after each

 

Introducing asteroids – Many people do not fully understand what asteroids are or may confuse them with other phenomena in space. Our lessons will provide a comprehensive overview, inspiring you to develop in-person or virtual events. Here are some examples:

• What is an asteroid?
• Where are asteroids located?
• Asteroids and the formation of the solar system
• How do we explore asteroids?

Lectures, conferences, workshops, and exhibitions about asteroid shapes can be organised for audiences of all ages. Consider organising dynamic and fun activities such as the Hangman game or a playing-card game to familiarise them with asteroid names and their distances.

Why might they be a threat? – Not all asteroids have orderly or stable orbits like Main Belt objects. Many periodically cross the orbits of other planets, including Earth. Introduce your audience to Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) to illustrate how these orbital encounters could pose impact risks and clarify the potential consequences of a confirmed impact.

Consider organising a lunar crater watching session to give the public an idea of the damage caused by an asteroid impact. Throughout the year, you could also tap into various global projects linked to asteroids and their exploration.

Why 2029 instead of another year? – 2029 was chosen because in April of that year, the asteroid 99942 Apophis will pass Earth at a distance of barely over 30,000 km—closer than many satellites in orbit. Discovered in 2004, Apophis initially caused alarm among astronomers and was widely reported in the media, being considered at one point the largest known asteroid headed for a possible collision with Earth (reaching level 4 on the Torino scale).

During Apophis’s 2021 approach, astronomers refined its orbital data through radar observations, concluding that it would not strike our planet for at least 100 years. Still, the asteroid’s close passage in 2029 is prompting some space agencies to mobilise and schedule missions to study it.

This simulator shows the Apophis orbit in real time, perfect for creating an interactive presentation and explaining how we categorise potential asteroid impact events using scales such as the Torino and Palermo scales.

Asteroid 2024YR – A comparable scenario arose with asteroid 2024 YR4, which initially showed a potential Earth impact in 2032. It reached level 3 on the Torino scale before subsequent calculations reduced that probability to nearly zero. This episode underlines how the media and public can react to impact-related news, and why it’s vital to inform people about realistic levels of risk.

Planetary Defence: Fiction and Reality – This lesson covers the main ways to deflect an asteroid, though you can invite participants to propose different approaches in a contest or discussion. Draw attention to the DART and Hera missions, collaborative projects that are making at least one deflection method a reality. You can also explore these films that depict asteroid or comet collisions with Earth, provoking a conversation on how feasible each cinematic solution might be.

Don’t forget to register your events and report them. Make the most of the International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence to make your Asteroid Day celebrations even more exciting—bringing together science, education, and a shared commitment to protecting our planet.