Marking their involvement in science and astronomy, many school students from all over India identified and discovered 18 asteroids while participating in a global science programme. The achievements of these students were confirmed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which is responsible for assigning designations and official names to space bodies.
It is to be noted that as many as 150 students from across the country participated in a two-month campaign under the International Asteroid Discovery Project to look for asteroids. The project was conducted by STEM and Space in collaboration with the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC). It was carried out as part of the citizen science project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
WION quoted Mila Mitra, Co-founder and Academic Head of STEM and Space, as saying that it was the largest asteroid discovery project in the country. STEM and Space is an organisation that supports and promotes education of space science and astronomy in India.
Students from across India had flagged 372 preliminary asteroids after analysing the astronomical data provided by the IASC. Of the 372, 18 were deemed 'provisional' or confirmed asteroid discoveries, said Mitra. The IASC is an online programme that gives kids an opportunity to identify asteroids and near-earth objects (NEO) that can pose a threat of impact.
Mitra suggested that programmes like the IASC by NASA can help in tracking asteroids with the help of citizen scientists and students. While such programmes promote experiential learning of STEM i.e. science, technology, engineering, and medicine through workshops and projects, Mitra said that these programmes should be extended to the government schools and those in the rural areas to make their access more equitable.
These students received Provisional Discovery Certificates from IASC and NASA for their asteroid discoveries and contribution to science, said Mitra.
