Asteroid Day is being celebrated
KATHMANDU: JULY 1 – Nepal Astronomical Society is celebrating Asteroid Day today by organizing various programs. This day has been celebrated in different countries of the world since 2015. After the UN General Assembly recognized this day in 2016, many countries have started celebrating it since 2017, said Suresh Bhattarai, president of the society.
The society celebrated the day in 2017 and 2018 in association with the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST). The part between Mars and Jupiter as a remnant of the solar system is called an asteroid. Chairman Bhattarai says that there is a danger as these planets can cross the earth.
He said that in 1908, a small asteroid named Tunguska appeared in the forest area in Siberia, Russia. The forest was destroyed due to a collision in a forest area. Therefore, society has been demanding the study and research of asteroids that could be a threat to the earth.
The society has started an asteroid search campaign in 2016. In this context, as of May 2021, 1,194 asteroids have been found from the research led by the Society. Eleven of them have got temporary names. One is that it is dangerous for the earth. It is named 2019 KK5. These planets are considered dangerous as they cross Earth’s orbit. Asteroids cannot be seen with the naked eye.
