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International Asteroid Day is observed on:
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Answer: Option B — 30 June
Detailed Solution
International Asteroid Day is observed every year on 30 June to raise public awareness about the risks of asteroid impacts and what can be done to protect the Earth.
Why 30 June:
On 30 June 1908, a huge explosion occurred over the Tunguska region of Siberia, Russia. It is believed to have been caused by an asteroid or comet exploding in the air a few kilometres above the ground.
It flattened about 80 million trees over an area of about 2,000 square kilometres.
It is the largest asteroid impact event on Earth in recorded history.
About the day:
- "Asteroid Day" was started in 2014 by a group including the astrophysicist and Queen guitarist Brian May, the Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, the filmmaker Grigorij Richters and others.
- In December 2016, the UN General Assembly declared 30 June as "International Asteroid Day".
About asteroids:
Asteroids are small rocky bodies that orbit the Sun. Most of them are in the "asteroid belt" between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt, is now classified as a dwarf planet.
"Near-Earth Objects" (NEOs) are asteroids and comets whose orbits bring them close to the Earth.
An asteroid impact about 66 million years ago, which formed the Chicxulub crater in Mexico, is believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.
In 2013, a meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, injuring about 1,500 people.
Planetary defence:
NASA's DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft deliberately crashed into the small asteroid Dimorphos on 26 September 2022 and successfully changed its orbit. It was the first test of a method to deflect an asteroid.
A minor planet was named after the Indian singer Pandit Jasraj in 2019.
Other space days:
- World Space Week: 4-10 October.
- International Day of Human Space Flight: 12 April (Yuri Gagarin's flight, 1961).
- International Day of Light: 16 May.
Why not the other options?
- ✗4 October is the start of World Space Week (launch of Sputnik 1, 1957).
- ✗12 April is the International Day of Human Space Flight.
- ✗16 May is the International Day of Light.
Quick tip
Remember: International Asteroid Day = 30 June (Tunguska event, Siberia, 1908; UN day since 2016); NASA's DART hit Dimorphos (2022); asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter.
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Important Days & Dates — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Important Days & Dates, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers national and international days observed through the year, such as National Youth Day, World Environment Day and International Yoga Day, along with the themes announced for them and the events or people they commemorate. Questions ask for the date of a day, the day observed on a given date, or the person it honours (for example, National Sports Day on 29 August marks the birthday of Major Dhyan Chand). Revise days month by month in a calendar format. Themes change every year, so learn the current year's themes from current affairs. Practise the important days questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.