BANNERS: Near Miss Day! | March 23

On March 23, 1989, a 300-metre asteroid called 4581 Asclepius flew past Earth by about 500,000 miles (804,000 kms). That was a 'near miss' in interstellar terms.

"On the cosmic scale of things, that was a close call," said Dr. Henry Holt, an amateur astronomer from Flagstaff, Ariz., who discovered the asteroid while working on a NASA project.
Bevan French, a scientist with NASA's solar system exploration division, said if the asteroid had collided with Earth the impact would have been equivalent to the explosion of 20,000 hydrogen bombs and would have created a crater at least 5 miles across--or "enough to destroy a good-sized city."
If it had hit an ocean, it would have caused tidal waves that would have swept over coastal regions, French said. - latimes

BANNERS: World Water Day! | March 22 (Set 2)

World Water Day is an annual event celebrated on 22 March. The day focuses attention on the importance of universal access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in developing countries. The day also focuses on advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

World Water Day is supported by stakeholders across the globe. Many organizations promote clean water for people and sustainable aquatic habitats. Events such as theatrical and musical celebrations, educational events, and campaigns to raise money for access to clean and affordable water are held worldwide on or close to 22 March.

UN-Water selects a theme for each year. Previous themes include: 'Why waste water?' (2017), 'Water and Jobs' (2016) and 'Water and Sustainable Development' (2015).

The first International World Water Day, designated by the United Nations, was commemorated in 1993.

Website: worldwaterday

BANNERS: World Poetry Day! | March 21

World Poetry Day is on 21 March, and was declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1999. The purpose of the day is to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world and, as the UNESCO session declaring the day says, to "give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements".

"Poetry reaffirms our common humanity by revealing to us that individuals, everywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings. Poetry is the mainstay of oral tradition and, over centuries, can communicate the innermost values of diverse cultures."

Website: poetryday

BANNERS: Alien Abduction Day! | March 20 (#AlienAbductionDay)

Extraterrestrial Abduction Day (also called Alien Abduction Day) is a new festivity observed on March 20. Its origins are unclear, though it seems it was popularized since the 2008 Alien Abduction Day festival in Toronto which celebrated “all things extraterrestrial & sci-fi.

The celebrations take multiple forms, from those who watch the skies expecting or wishing to be abducted by an alien life form, or watching movies about UFOs and aliens.

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