What is the Tunguska Event?<\/strong><\/h2>\nImagine a serene morning in the Siberian wilderness when, suddenly, the heavens ignite, trees snap like twigs, and a seismic shockwave ripples across the landscape. That’s precisely what occured on <\/span>June 30, 1908, when a colossal explosion erupted near the remote Tunguska River in Siberia, Russia. The event, now known as the Tunguska Event, was a result of an airburst caused by an asteroid or comet fragment thought to be about 50m (~160 feet) wide. The blast flattened over 2,000 square km (over 1200 square miles) of forest, an area almost the size of Tokyo. The energy released during the explosion was estimated to be about 1,000 times more powerful than an atomic bomb! But thankfully, due to the remote location, there were no human casualties, although the impact left a lasting mark on our understanding of the potential risks associated with asteroids.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.unistellar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/tunguska_kulik_strip.jpeg” title_text=”tunguska_kulik_strip” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” width=”61%” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”RGBA(186,186,186,0.81)” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Trees flattened by the Tunguska explosion. Credit: the Leonid Kulik Expedition\/NASA.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207″ custom_padding=”1px||7px|||” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
What is Asteroid Day?<\/strong><\/h2>\nAsteroid Day is an annual global event that takes place on June 30th, commemorating the anniversary of the Tunguska Event. <\/span>Interestingly enough, Asteroid Day was co-founded in 2014 by Dr. Brian May, astrophysicist and guitarist of the rock band Queen; Danica Remy, President of B612 Foundation; Grig Richters, filmmaker; and Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9 astronaut. Their aim?\u00a0 To unite scientists, astronauts, artists, and concerned citizens in raising awareness and fostering dialogue about asteroid impact prevention, particularly after the destruction caused by the Chelyabinsk meteor’s explosion over Russia in 2013.<\/span><\/p>\nIn 2016, the United Nations declared that an official International Asteroid Day take place on June 30 of every year to raise asteroidal awareness. Now on this day, people gather together in acknowledgement of our planet’s vulnerability to incoming space objects , but also in celebration that we can act to protect it through planetary defense.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”251.4px” custom_padding=”||0px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.unistellar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/tunguska_kulik_strip.jpeg” title_text=”tunguska_kulik_strip” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” width=”61%” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”RGBA(186,186,186,0.81)” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Trees flattened by the Tunguska explosion. Credit: the Leonid Kulik Expedition\/NASA.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207″ custom_padding=”1px||7px|||” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Asteroid Day is an annual global event that takes place on June 30th, commemorating the anniversary of the Tunguska Event. <\/span>Interestingly enough, Asteroid Day was co-founded in 2014 by Dr. Brian May, astrophysicist and guitarist of the rock band Queen; Danica Remy, President of B612 Foundation; Grig Richters, filmmaker; and Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9 astronaut. Their aim?\u00a0 To unite scientists, astronauts, artists, and concerned citizens in raising awareness and fostering dialogue about asteroid impact prevention, particularly after the destruction caused by the Chelyabinsk meteor’s explosion over Russia in 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n In 2016, the United Nations declared that an official International Asteroid Day take place on June 30 of every year to raise asteroidal awareness. Now on this day, people gather together in acknowledgement of our planet’s vulnerability to incoming space objects , but also in celebration that we can act to protect it through planetary defense.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”251.4px” custom_padding=”||0px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\nWhat is Asteroid Day?<\/strong><\/h2>\n