January 27, 2025: Daksh Malik, a 14-year-old Class 9 student from Shiv Nadar School in Noida, has achieved a remarkable feat by being recognized by NASA for his ‘provisional asteroid discovery.’ This prestigious honor means that Malik will have the rare privilege of naming the asteroid.

Currently identified as ‘2023 OG40,’ the asteroid was discovered in 2023, and Daksh will now select a permanent name for it, marking a significant milestone in his budding interest in space science.

"I’ve been fascinated with space…I used to watch all these documentaries on National Geographic about planets and the solar system. This is like a dream come true," Malik shared with The Print.

Daksh, along with two of his school friends, embarked on their asteroid hunting journey over a year and a half under the International Asteroid Discovery Project (IADP). This unique opportunity arose in 2022, when the school's astronomy club sent an invitation to participate in the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), a citizen science program affiliated with NASA.

Through IASC, people, including students from around the globe, are encouraged to discover new asteroids, contributing to the scientific community. The IADP, a joint initiative of STEM & Space and IASC, attracts over 6,000 participants annually. However, only a select few are fortunate enough to make such groundbreaking discoveries.

Before Daksh, five other Indian students have successfully discovered asteroids that have been officially named, adding to the pride of the nation's growing space science community.

This discovery stands as a testament to the dedication and curiosity of young minds, proving that age is no barrier to making significant contributions to the world of science and technology.