- Daksh Malik, a Grade 9 student at Shiv Nadar School, Noida has discovered an asteroid that has been officially confirmed by NASA as a "Provisional Discovery of a Main Belt Asteroid”.
- The asteroid has been designated as “2023 OG40,” and Daksh, as the discoverer, will have the honour of naming it.
NOIDA: Daksh Malik, a Grade 9 student at Shiv Nadar School, Noida has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in the field of astronomy. His preliminary detection of an asteroid, submitted last year, has been officially confirmed by NASA as a "Provisional Discovery of a Main Belt Asteroid." The asteroid has been designated as “2023 OG40,” and Daksh, as the discoverer, will have the honour of naming it. This remarkable accomplishment is the result of Daksh’s relentless dedication and hard work over the past 1.5 years, during which he made six preliminary asteroid detections.
Commenting on this achievement, Daksh Malik said, “This achievement is a dream come true and a testament to the power of curiosity and perseverance. I am incredibly grateful to my school for nurturing my passion for astronomy, providing me with opportunities to explore, and supporting me every step of the way. This journey has inspired me to reach for the stars—literally and figuratively—and I hope it encourages others to pursue their passions fearlessly."
Last year, Daksh participated multiple times in "The International Asteroid Discovery Project," a collaboration between the International Astronomy Search Collaboration (IASC), Pan-STARRS, and NASA’s Citizen Science Project, under the mentorship of Dr. Patrick Miller from Hardin Simmons University. This project provided participants worldwide with access to high-quality astronomical data, including real images from the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii, to discover new asteroids and important Near-Earth Objects.
Through this incredible opportunity, Daksh analysed cutting-edge astronomical data and used advanced software to make his discovery. His achievement is even more remarkable considering that only a small handful of the 6,500 participants from over 80 countries are able to detect asteroids each year, and Daksh is one of the few to do so.
To clarify the process, a "preliminary detection" is the first original observation of a new asteroid. Once confirmed, NASA observes it a second time, and if the object is indeed an asteroid, the Minor Planet Centre (MPC) grants it provisional status. Provisional detections are recognised as official discoveries, and after further observations, they are catalogued in the global record by the International Astronomical Union in Paris.
About Shiv Nadar School
The Shiv Nadar School is a not-for-profit initiative of the Shiv Nadar Foundation in K12 private education to deliver educational excellence and provide “Education for Life”. With three campuses in the NCR and one in Chennai, Shiv Nadar School provides students with an environment that challenges them to discover their talent and skills while aiming to nurture ethical, respectful, happy, and purposeful citizens of society. 6500+ students and their parents, along with a team of around 1100+ educators, are a part of the Shiv Nadar School family.
About Shiv Nadar Foundation
Established in 1994, by Shiv Nadar, Founder, HCL - a US$12.8 billion leading global technology enterprise, the Foundation is committed to the creation of a more equitable, merit-based society by empowering individuals through transformational education, and to bridge the socio-economic divide. Over the last 27 years the Foundation has directly touched the lives of over 36,000 alumni and students through its marquee institutions in literacy, K12 and higher education. Today, the Foundation has a community of over 1,00,000 constituents, which includes not only globally dispersed alumni and students but also faculty members, corporate executives, and extended families. The Foundation has invested over US$1.1 billion in its seven landmark institutions and initiatives across education and art. Currently close to 14,000 students and over 2,000 faculty are part of the Foundation along with more than 22,000 strong globally dispersed alumni community.
The Foundation’s students have gone to study at some of the best institutions globally including the Ivy League in the US and top universities in other countries including Australia, Singapore, China and UK. Students are also working in major corporations, including Goldman Sachs, Honda, HP, Schindler, and several others both in India and across other geographies. Faculty across the Foundation institutions are drawn from the best Indian and international universities, with a strong focus on research and innovation.
The Shiv Nadar Foundation pursues the philosophy of 'Creative Philanthropy'. It is a powerful model which envisages creation of institutions that are built to last and continue to impact future generations. It is an approach that allows sustained institutionalized philanthropy for long-term, high-impact, socio-economic transformation.
About HCL
Founded in 1976 as one of India’s original IT garage start-ups, HCL is a pioneer of modern computing with many firsts to its credit, including the introduction of the 8-bit microprocessor-based computer in 1978 well before its global peers. Today, the HCL enterprise has a presence across varied sectors that include technology, healthcare and talent management solutions and comprises three companies – HCL Infosystems, HCLTech and HCL Healthcare. The enterprise generates annual revenues of over US$13.4 billion with 219,000 employees operating across 60 countries. For further information, visit www.hcl.com
