14-Year-Old Noida Student Discovers Asteroid, Gets To Name It With NASA's Approval

A 14-year-old boy from Shiv Nadar School in Noida is set to name an asteroid he discovered in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, thanks to his involvement in a NASA project.

The asteroid, currently referred to as '2023 OG40' based on the year it was discovered, will soon bear a permanent name chosen by Class 9 student Daksh Malik.

Daksh had submitted his initial detection of the asteroid last year, and it has now been officially confirmed by NASA as a "Provisional Discovery of a Main Belt Asteroid."

Speaking to the press, Daksh shared that he had been fascinated with space documentaries since a young age, and this opportunity felt like a dream come true for him.

How did Daksh discover the asteroid?

Daksh, along with two of his classmates, had been searching for asteroids for over a year and a half as part of the International Asteroid Discovery Project (IADP), under the guidance of Dr. Patrick Miller from Hardin-Simmons University.

The IADP is a partnership between the International Astronomy Search Collaboration (IASC), Pan-STARRS, and NASA's Citizen Science Project. The school's astronomy club introduced Daksh to the IASC by emailing about the programme in 2022.

The Citizen Science programme run by NASA encourages students and the general public to utilise their software and datasets to help discover asteroids. This project provides participants worldwide with access to high-quality astronomical data, including real images from the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii, to find new asteroids and key Near-Earth Objects.

Each year, the programme attracts around 6,500 participants from over 80 countries, but only a handful succeed in their asteroid discoveries. Daksh was among those few, after submitting six preliminary detections.

With this achievement, Daksh joins an elite group in India, alongside just five other students who have reported discovering an asteroid.

He credited his school's observatory, astronomy programmes, and teachers for providing him with an environment that nurtured his passion.

"This journey has inspired me to reach for the stars - literally and figuratively - and I hope it encourages others to pursue their passions fearlessly," Daksh said.

Naming and verification process

Daksh has yet to finalise a name for the asteroid. He is considering options like 'Destroyer of the World' or 'Countdown'. However, the name change will not be immediate.

The NASA verification process following the "preliminary detection" of the asteroid could take up to four or five years. Initially, NASA observes the asteroid a second time, and if confirmed as an asteroid, the Minor Planet Centre (MPC) grants it provisional status.

After additional observations, it would be officially recognised as a discovery. Following this, the International Astronomical Union in Paris would catalogue it in the global record.

Daksh will be able to officially name the asteroid only after full verification.