14-Year-Old-Creates-

From Noida to Space: Shiv Nadar School Teen from Noida Discovers Asteroid, Will Soon Join the Ranks of Global Space Explorers Through NASA

 

In a remarkable achievement, 14-year-old Daksh Malik of Shiv Nadar School, Noida, has discovered an asteroid that will soon be named by him. This exciting discovery was part of NASA'International Asteroid Discovery Project (IADP), a citizen science initiative that encourages participants from around the world to contribute to asteroid research.

 

A Global Citizen Science Program

 

The asteroid, currently identified as 2023 OG40, was spotted by Daksh and two of his friends through images from renowned telescopes like PAN-STARRS in Hawaii. 

They were analyzing the data provided by NASA, searching for potential new asteroids. After months of detailed work and with the help of specialized software, they found a celestial object that appeared to be an asteroid. This led to its verification by NASA, marking it as a "provisional discovery."

As part of the process, Daksh will now be eligible to name the asteroid. He already has some creative suggestions like "Destroyer of the World" and "Countdown," which will surely reflect the imagination he carried with him to come up with such names. 

The name, however, is confirmed only after a verification process, which may take a total of five years. In NASA, several tests and extra observations are taken before giving due recognition to the discovery.

 

An Inspiring Journey for a Young Star

 

Daksh's interest in space started when he was a child and watched documentaries on the subject. He credits his school's astronomy club for providing him with the right environment to nurture his interests. "It feels like I am working at NASA myself," he shared excitedly about the journey ahead.

Daksh is part of an exclusive group of young minds who have contributed to asteroid discoveries. Just five other students from India have achieved this feat. His discovery has placed him in the global spotlight as his success inspires other students to explore science and space.

 

A Competitive and Rewarding Project

 

Over 6,000 participants annually are attracted by the International Asteroid Discovery Project across the globe. With such a huge number of participants, only a few discoveries are officially recognized. 

Daksh is one among this exclusive group because of his successful detection. Citizen science is really powerful in space exploration.

 

The Road Ahead

 

Preparing Daksh to name the asteroid exemplifies how such young minds of today could revolutionize science and space exploration of the world tomorrow. A story such as his calls forth the value behind IADP in making an actual impact connecting the young and real scientific discoveries.