In the late 1980s, a massive asteroid was spotted flying toward us. This rare "near miss" was commemorated on March 23rd, the day it just barely missed our planet. A new holiday called National Near Miss Day pays tribute to this near-catastrophe, which occurred in 1989. On March 22-23, 1989, an asteroid larger than Mt. Everest came within 500,000 miles of colliding with the earth. According to Dr. Holt, the collision would release energy comparable to the explosion of a 600 megaton atomic bomb. Geophysicists estimate that the impact would be devastating for life on earth. In 1989, scientists discovered a giant asteroid that was going to hit Earth. It missed by a mere nine days. But there have been other asteroids that have come close to us on a rare occasion.

23 March is annually celebrated as National Near Miss Day.

National Near Miss Day to commemorate the asteroid (4581 Asclepius) nearly hitting the Earth in 1989.