What if a giant rock travelling at 70,000 kilometres per hour is hurtling through space right now — and scientists are already watching it?
What if a giant rock travelling at 70,000 kilometres per hour is hurtling through space right now — and scientists are already watching it?
Asteroids are rocky, irregularly shaped objects that travel around the Sun. They are sometimes called space rocks or minor planets. Most asteroids in our solar system are found in a region called the Asteroid Belt, which sits between the planets Mars and Jupiter. Scientists believe there are millions of asteroids in this belt alone, ranging from tiny pebbles to objects hundreds of kilometres wide. Some asteroids travel closer to Earth and are carefully tracked by space agencies around the world.
International Asteroid Day is observed every year on 30 June. The date was chosen to remember a powerful asteroid event that happened on 30 June 1908, when a space rock exploded over a remote forest in Siberia, Russia. The blast flattened about 2,000 square kilometres of trees. That event, known as the Tunguska event, reminded the world how important it is to study and monitor asteroids. Today, the United Nations officially recognises this day to raise global awareness about asteroids and space science.
Scientists use powerful telescopes and spacecraft to study asteroids up close. In 2020, Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully returned samples from an asteroid called Ryugu to Earth. These tiny rock samples help scientists understand what our solar system looked like billions of years ago. Singapore students who love science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — known as STEM — can one day become the scientists, engineers, and researchers who study these fascinating space objects and help protect our planet.
Learning about asteroids teaches us to think like scientists. It encourages curiosity, careful observation, and problem-solving. Every time we look up at the night sky and wonder what is out there, we are taking the first step in scientific thinking. The universe is vast, mysterious, and full of discoveries waiting to be made. Whether you are six or sixteen, you are never too young to ask big questions about space and explore the wonders of our solar system.
