Srinagar, July 1 -- Every year on June 30, the world observes International Asteroid Day, a United Nations-approved day that serves not only to raise awareness about the potential threat asteroids pose to Earth but also to promote scientific efforts in planetary defense. This date is not arbitrary-it commemorates the Tunguska event of 1908, when an asteroid or comet exploded over Siberia, leveling 2,000 square kilometers of forest in a remote part of Russia. Fortunately, the area was sparsely populated, but the event remains the most powerful asteroid-related impact in recorded history. Why should we care about asteroid threats in a world already burdened with climate change, pandemics, and geopolitical tensions? The answer is simple: unl...