The United Nations (UN) has officially designated 2029 as the International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence. This initiative coincides with the extremely rare and close approach of the asteroid Apophis which is projected to pass Earth at a distance of approximately 32,000 kilometres on April 13, 2029.
Measuring around 370 meters in diameter, Apophis is expected to make a safe passage, however, it will be visible to billions of people with the naked eye if the night sky is clear. Apophis’ passage presents a unique opportunity to study such celestial objects and enhance our planetary defense strategies.
The Luxembourg-based Asteroid Foundation, organiser of the UN-recognized annual Asteroid Day on 30 June, endorses and promotes the initiative. It aligns perfectly with its mission to educate the public about asteroids, their potential threats to our planet and innovative scientific missions like DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test), which successfully demonstrated the ability to alter an asteroid’s trajectory, and HERA, which is ESA’s follow-up mission to analyze the impact of DART on Dimorphos, an asteroid moon orbiting around its parent body Didymos.
The Asteroid Foundation will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Asteroid Day in June 2025.