Two girls of class 10 from Gujarat's Surat have discovered a new asteroid. The asteroid named HLV2514 is expected to pass the earth in the near future.
Vaidehi Vekariya Sanjaybhai and Radhika Lakhani Prafulbhai, studying in Surat's PP Savani Chaitanya Vidya Sankul, participated in an International science programme called ‘All India Asteroid Search Campaign 2020’, conducted by SPACE India in collaboration with International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) and Hardin Simmons University, Texas.
In the two-month-long project, the images of the asteroid were taken by Pan Starrs telescope in Hawaii.
The students use advanced software and techniques to look for asteroids. Pan Starrs has an advanced telescope and camera system and state of the art CCD cameras, higher Field of View, ability to see fainter objects. These capabilities of the telescope made the difference.
Students looked for asteroids under programs initiated by NASA and Jet Propulsion Lab that track and monitor asteroids looking for ones that may pose a threat to earth.
It's truly an amazing feat for both of the students to have discovered asteroids during their scholastic years.
