Near Miss Day
About Near Miss Day
When is Near Miss Day? This holiday is always celebrated on March 23
Near Miss Day commemorates the day a huge Asteroid nearly missed hitting the earth.
On March 23, 1989, an asteroid the size of a mountain, came within 500,000 miles of a collision with Earth. In interstellar terms, it was a near miss. Had it collided with the Earth, it would have left a devastating crater the size of Washington, D.C. It’s affect on the planet would have been catastrophic. Since then, there have been other near misses.
…..Whew!!
Near misses with large, potentially life threatening galactic objects happens on an infrequent basis. It is believed a large asteroid collided with the earth and caused the extinction of dinosaurs. Scientists believe it is only a matter of time before another catastrophic collision with Earth. But, don’t worry. The odds are it will not happen for a long, long time.
Asteroids Versus Meteors
The terms Asteroid, Meteor, and Meteorite are often confusing. Here are the definitions:
Asteroids are objects in space that orbit the sun. They are of any size in space. They are sometimes called “space rocks”. It’s the big ones that we worry may potentially hit the earth and cause catastrophic damage.
Meteors are asteroids that enter the earth’s atmosphere. Most meteors burn up in the earth’s atmosphere, putting on a light display as they streak across the sky.
Meteorites are small meteors, sometimes as small as a grain of sand. A meteor that survives the atmosphere to hit the earth’s surface is called a meteorite.
Comets – consist mostly of ice and dust. It orbits the sun or comes from the outer reaches of the solar system. They develop a tail as they near the sun and the sun heats them up.
Recent Asteroid Near Misses
- November 22, 2022- a small asteroid harmlessly streaked through the sky of Ontario, Canada.
- 2003 SQ222 – Approximately 10 meters in diameter, came within 54,700 miles of earth on September 27, 2003.
- Asteroid 2002 EM7 – Approximately, 70 meters long, this rock came within 288,000 miles in March, 2002.
How to Celebrate Near Miss Day
Here’s how you can celebrate Near Miss Day:
- Keep an eye to the sky for asteroids streaking through the sky in your direction. Be ready to duck!
- Watch NASA’s website for reports of new asteroids and their orbital path.
- Read about historical asteroid impacts on the earth
Today's Laugher
“Pretending to be courageous is just as good as the real thing.” – – David Letterman
History and Origin of Near Miss Day
Our research did not find the creator or the origin of this day.
A few internet sites are referring to this holiday as National Near Miss Day. An Asteroid hitting the earth would likely have worldwide implications, making this a candidate for an international holiday rather than a national one. We found no documentation in congressional records to confirm that this is truly a national day. Nor, did we find a presidential proclamation.
Definition of “National” Days – and why it is important to distinguish true National days.
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