posted 06-26-2017 07:44 AM               

Asteroid Day is Ready to Rock Around the Clock

On June 30, learn about Asteroids!

More than 700 events in 190 countries around the world are planned for Asteroid Day on June 30, 2017, the anniversary of Earth's largest asteroid impact in recorded history, the 1908 Siberia Tunguska event, which devastated 2000 sq. kilometers (770 square miles) of forest in Siberia, Russia.

Asteroid Day was sanctioned by the United Nations in 2016, as a global day of education to raise awareness about asteroids, their role in our solar system and the need to use science and technology to increase our knowledge and ability to protect humanity from dangerous impacts and facilitate future exploration.

Events for Asteroid Day 2017 are being planned on all five continents and include participation this year from major space agencies: European Space Agency (ESA); Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and NASA, America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration, where every day is asteroid day. Events will take place for all ages at science centers, planetariums, observatories, museums, schools, theaters, libraries, civic, government halls and town squares. Most events are free of charge and can be viewed on the Asteroid Day global map on our website.

Regional Events

• Tucson, Arizona, USA: University of Arizona (UA), Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, June 27. Science Channel's Meteorite Man Geoff Notkin will host a major event with five leading UA researchers in asteroid science: Dante Lauretta , principal investigator for NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission and professor at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory; Eric Christensen , director, Catalina Sky Survey for Near-Earth Objects and associate staff scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory; Heather Enos , deputy principal investigator for the OSIRIS-REx mission; Vishnu Reddy , assistant professor at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory; Daniella DellaGiustina , image processing lead for the OSIRIS-REx mission. On June 30 weekend : AU's Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium will host special activities related to asteroids and the OSIRIS-REx mission, asteroid planetarium shows, and asteroid exhibits for the public.

• London, UK: Imperial College, London is where Asteroid Day was co-founded. Debbie Lewis, Deputy Chair of the Asteroid Day expert panel and a specialist in risk, crisis and disaster management, is hosting guests including Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut, Clemens Rumpf, Dr. Simon Green, Jerry Stone, Denis Pellerin, Peter Birtwhistle, Jonathan Tate, and Prof. Lewis Dartnell

• Barcelona, Spain: Centre Cultural Terrassa. A program focused on monitoring dangerous asteroids from Catalonia, Spain, organized in partnership with Òmnium Cultural , Agrupació Astronòmica de Terrassa (AAT), Institut de Ciències de l'Espai (ICE), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and the Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC)

• Poznan, Poland: Mayor of Poznań Mr. Jacek Jaśkowiak will be present Asteroid Day Poland Regional Coordinator Tomasz Kluwak with an award for educating the public about asteroids. Kluwak has coordinated events for Asteroid Day centered in and around Poznan and Warsaw, including an astronomical observation, a music concert, and a fun event in the park! More than 1000 students are expected to attend.

• Madagascar: HABAKA Innovation Hub. Organized by Haikintana Astronomy to increase awareness of the SKA international project at the American Center Madagascar in Antananarivo, the event includes educational programs and activities, and a special astronomical observation at night.

• Israel (various cities): "Fire from the Sky" lecture by Asteroid Day Israel Regional Coordinator Victor Bar at the Israeli Astronomical Association at the Giv'atayim Observatory, the oldest observatory in Israel and the main base for amateur Israeli astronomers. There will be two other events at locations Netanya and Yarka in Israel focused on Asteroids

• Pakistan (various cities). Organized by Mohammad Iftekhar Yezdani, journalist and engineer. Includes an all-outdoor program, including: Asteroid Day Walk, open-air display of artwork, talks by speakers, playback of prerecorded talks, and finally stargazing at night. He will also be streaming social media and a live stream from RaheQamar, an online newspaper focused on space.

• Mexico City, Mexico: María Guadalupe Cordero, Geology and Planetary Atmosphere Professor at National Autonomous University of Mexico, is working with SOMA (Mexican Society of Astrobiology) to organize six talks about asteroids and prepare educational material to be presented at three museums and plantariums around Mexico City.

• Lincoln, Nebraska, USA: June 29th, at University of Nebraska College of Law Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law Program and University of Nebraska State Museum, Morrill Hall. Special event, opened by Professor Frans von der Dunk, an original signatory of the Asteroid Day Declaration, followed by a short presentation by program Executive Director Elsbeth Magilton. Following by two full-dome planetarium shows: "Firefall" and "B612 Asteroid Show."

Asteroid Day 'LIVE'

Asteroid Day LIVE is the first ever 24-hour live broadcast about the asteroid threat. Produced from the new Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE) studio at RTL City, Luxembourg, the June 30 program will serve as a platform for the first global conversation about asteroids. Hosted by British physicist, author and BBC commentator Brian Cox, participants include expert scientists, technologists and researchers in planetary science, including NASA Astronauts Rusty Schweickart, Ed Lu and Nicole Stott; ESA astronauts Michel Tognini, Jean-François Clervoy; first Romanian Astronaut and ASE President Dorin Prunariu, first Romanian Astronaut; ASE president, UN COPUOS; Astrophysicists and Planetary Scientists Susan McKenna-Lawlor, Julia De Leon, Mark Boslough, Patrick Michel; Owner and CEO OHB SE Marco Fuchs, and Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg Etienne Schneider.

Asteroid Day LIVE will be distributed globally on June 30, via a SES satellite network and available on various local channels subscribing to the SES satellite network, and the Asteroid Day website. The global broadcast schedule for your area can be found at this link. The program is being produced by Grig Richters, co-founder of Asteroid Day and producer/director of 51 Degrees North, a documentary about a fictional asteroid impact over London, and sponsored by OHB, BCE and the Government of Luxembourg, principal sponsors of Asteroid Day. View the full line-up of the live Luxembourg program, here.

Discovery Channel

Asteroid Day primary media partner, Discovery Channel, has produced two specials about asteroids and Asteroid Day to air June 30 around the world: "How to Survive an Asteroid Impact" and a three-minute Virtual Reality video that provides viewers with an insight into the risks of asteroids, how scientists are trying to protect our planet, and what viewers should do if an asteroid is about to impact their city.

Scientists Rock

A seven-part series introducing you to the people working to protect us from Asteroids. Narrated by famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, the series interviews, among others, UK Astronomer Royal, Lord Martin Rees; Dr. Brian May, Peter Gabriel, scores of astronauts and asteroid experts.

100X Asteroid Declaration

Central to Asteroid Day is the 100x Declaration, calling for the 100-fold increase in the detection and monitoring of asteroids. Signed to date by more than 60,000 people around the world, the Declaration resolves to "solve humanity's greatest challenges to safeguard our families and quality of life on Earth in the future. The Declaration is available online for the signature of all world citizens concerned about advancing asteroid research and technology.

About Asteroid Day

Asteroid Day was co-founded in 2014, by Dr. Brian May, astrophysicist and lead guitarist for the rock band Queen; Danica Remy, B612 President; Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart; and German filmmaker Grig Richters. Asteroid Day is held on 30 June each year to mark Earth's largest asteroid impact in recorded history, the Siberia Tunguska event, which devastated over 2,000 km2 of forest, an area the size of any major metropolitan city today. In 2016, Asteroid Day was declared by the United Nations to be a global day of education to raise awareness about asteroids.

Founding partners include: The Association of Space Explorers, B612 and Discovery Channel and global sponsors include OHB, SES, BCE and the Luxembourg Government.

posted 06-27-2017 02:25 PM               

NASA Celebrates International Asteroid Day with Special Broadcast

NASA will mark the worldwide observance of International Asteroid Day at noon EDT Friday, June 30, with a special television program featuring the agency's Planetary Defense Coordination Office and other projects working to find and study near-Earth objects (NEOs). The program will air on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Viewers will learn how NASA-funded researchers find, track and characterize NEOs – asteroids and comets that come within the vicinity of Earth's orbit and could pose an impact hazard to Earth – and how NASA is working to get our nation prepared to respond to a potential impact threat.

The program will include segments on NASA's NEO projects from multiple locations, including the agency's Headquarters in Washington and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. Viewers may submit questions during the program using #AskNASA.

The broadcast will be part of a 24-hour Asteroid Day program from Broadcasting Center Europe, beginning at 9 p.m. June 29 (1 a.m. June 30 GMT) and streaming online.

"At NASA, every day is an asteroid day, but we value the international collaboration for a designated day to call attention to the importance of detecting and tracking hazardous asteroids," said Planetary Defense Officer Lindley Johnson at NASA Headquarters.

NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office is responsible for finding, tracking and characterizing potentially hazardous asteroids and comets coming near Earth, issuing warnings about possible impacts, and assisting coordination of U.S. government response planning, should there be an actual impact threat.