Nagpur Student Achieves Preliminary Asteroid Discovery Through AIASC

NAGPUR :Rajvi Selokar, a Class 6 student of Bishop Cotton School, Dharampeth, Nagpur, has achieved a milestone by becoming the first student from Nagpur to make a preliminary asteroid discovery through the All India Asteroid Search Campaign (AIASC).The AIASC is a citizen science project conducted by SPACE India in collaboration with the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), providing students with hands-on opportunities to work with real astronomical data and hunt for asteroids.

Training and Discovery Process

Conducted in two phasesae with Phase 2 taking place in Nagpur over the summer—the campaign saw participation from students across Bishop Cotton School and other institutions. Participants completed specialized training workshops utilizing Astrometrica, an advanced software program used for asteroid detection and analysis.Working with image data captured by the Pan-STARRS observatory in Hawaii, students analyzed sequential images to spot moving objects against background star fields. Upon identifying potential candidates, students evaluated them against rigorous criteria before submitting their findings to the IASC team for official verification. Rajvi successfully identified and reported a moving object within the dataset, which was subsequently verified as a preliminary asteroid discovery.

Significance of the Milestone
A preliminary discovery represents a crucial early stage in the asteroid identification process, during which objects are continuously observed and tracked to map their orbits and gather deeper scientific data.Rajvi's accomplishment marks a proud moment for her family and sets a historic precedent as the first such achievement by both a Nagpur student and Bishop Cotton School, Dharampeth. The milestone underscores the vital impact of introducing students to authentic scientific research and practical astronomy at an early age.