Lubbock Looks Up: World Asteroid Day 2025 Shines Spotlight on Cosmic Neighbors

As West Texas skies dazzle under another hot summer sun, astronomers, educators and curious stargazers mark World Asteroid Day today (June 30th) with renewed interest.

This year’s focus zooms in on asteroid 2003 AY2, a stadium-size rock measuring approximately 1,200 feet across, which made a safe—but eerie—close flyby of Earth on June 22nd.

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Potentially Hazardous Object?

NASA classifies 2003 AY2 as a “potentially hazardous object.” Though thankfully distant during its near pass (around 600,000 miles from Earth), it serves as a cosmic wake-up call to the invisible threats orbiting above us.

Did you know that Lubbock itself lives in a cosmic hot zone? A recent analysis by CanadaSportsBetting, using Long-Range Impact data from the Lunar and Planetary Institute, places Texas at No. 7 nationwide when it comes to recorded asteroid impacts. To be exact, Texas has 322 documented strikes, which averages to one asteroid every 813 square miles .

Here’s a Breakdown of Your Odds in Different States

• Nevada ranks No. 1, with one impact every 132 square miles.

• California sits at No. 2, with one every 414 sq mi.

• New Mexico comes in at No. 3, around 525 sq mi.

• Texas lands at No. 7, with one asteroid per 813 sq mi.

Smaller states like Delaware and Rhode Island have zero recorded impacts, while massive states like Montana and Alaska rank as least likely.

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How Does This Affect Us?

What does this mean for us in the Hub City? Not alarm—just awareness. These historic impacts are often small and infrequent, but they remind us that Earth lives within a dynamic, asteroid-populated neighborhood.

With World Asteroid Day, Lubbock leaders and educators are encouraged to host events—school presentations, telescope nights and public forums—to learn more about asteroid detection, planetary defense, and how NASA’s near‑Earth object (NEO) monitoring systems operate. The Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, known for its mapping of asteroid records, and NASA’s JPL Asteroid Watch Dashboard are excellent starting points.

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So grab a blanket, head outside after sundown, and maybe you’ll spot the trail of a meteor. It’s not just a celestial show—it’s a reminder that in the vastness of space, our little planet is alive and constantly changing!