What is Asteroid Day?

Asteroid Day was co-founded by astrophysicist and musician Dr. Brian May of the rock band Queen, Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, filmmaker Grig Richters, and B612 Foundation President Danica Remy, with the hope to educate the public about the importance of asteroids, their role in the formation of our solar system, and the importance of defending Earth from potential impacts. 

In 2016, Asteroid Day was sanctioned by the United Nations as an international day of public awareness and education, to be celebrated annually on June 30th, the date of the largest asteroid impact on Earth in recorded history. The aim of Asteroid Day is to educate the public about the risks and opportunities of asteroids by hosting events, providing educational resources, and communicating to both global and local audiences.