Asteroid Day - Watch NASA's special broadcast on how it is protecting Earth from space rocks

The program will be aired on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

New Delhi: Today, the 30th of June, is observed as International Asteroid Day – an annual global event that aims to raise awareness about asteroids and what can be done to protect the Earth.

NASA is marking the event 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) at noon EDT Friday, June 30, beginning at 9 a.m. PDT.

The special program will be aired on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

NASA says the broadcast is a 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:

https://asteroidday.org/live

"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 characterising potentially hazardous asteroids and comets coming near Earth. It issues warnings about possible impacts, while also assisting coordination of US government response planning, should there be an actual impact threat.

Asteroid Day is held on the anniversary of the June 30, 1908 Siberian Tunguska event, the most harmful known asteroid-related event on Earth in recent history.