PANAJI: Eight asteroids detected by sixteen students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, under the Khagolshala Asteroid Search Campaign 2021; were conferred the ‘Provisional Status’ by the International Astronomical Search Collaboration, says a press release by the Office of Principal Scientific Advisor to GoI.
Khagolshala Asteroid Search Campaign or KASC, trains students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas to detect asteroids. The campaign is an initiative of the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India,and SPACE Foundation.
KASC is the India chapter of an international student research programme that has got students involved in the search for asteroids. High-quality astronomical data sets are distributed to students for analysis and identification of asteroids. Students analyse the data using software which then leads to potential discoveries. These observations feed into the Near-Earth Object (NEO) data being compiled by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL).Space India has established Khagolshala Astronomy and Space Education Labs (ASELs) across 20 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas to date. Space India is working with a vision to get the younger generation in the country engrossed in astronomy and space sciences; application, exploration, innovation, and research in these areas. The team at Space India works by engaging students through experimentation, observation, and analysis of the universe.
