Tamassos, Cyprus. Cyprus is marking Asteroid Day with events on Monday and Tuesday as part of the worldwide programme organised by the Luxembourg-based Asteroid Day Foundation. The programme aims to raise awareness of asteroids, planetary defence and international cooperation in space science.
Events in Cyprus
The events have been organised by Kition Planetarium and Observatory, the national coordinator for Asteroid Day in Cyprus, under the direction of George Troullias.
An event will be held on Monday at the Cyprus Planetarium in Tamassos, while the main event will take place on Tuesday at Kition Planetarium. Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides is scheduled to deliver an address on behalf of President Nikos Christodoulides.
More information about the events is available at Astronomy Cyprus, Asteroid Day and Asteroid Day Cyprus.
Background to Asteroid Day
Asteroid Day is celebrated annually on June 30 to mark the anniversary of the 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia, the largest impact event ever recorded in modern history.
The initiative was founded by astrophysicist and Queen guitarist Brian May, Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, filmmaker Grig Richters and B612 Foundation chair Danica Remy to promote public understanding of the importance of asteroids through history and the role they play in the solar system.
Scientific significance of asteroid research
Kition Planetarium said that over the past years, space missions have collected valuable samples from asteroids, opening a new chapter in understanding the origin and evolution of the solar system.
“Although these samples are tiny, their scientific value is tremendous,” Kition Planetarium said.
The planetarium said scientists are able to link meteorites on Earth to their respective parent asteroids in space, providing information on the raw materials from which the planets were created approximately 4.6 billion years ago.
It said studying these samples enriches knowledge about the history of the solar system and contributes to planning future space missions, utilising the resources of asteroids and developing technologies to support future space exploration.
