13-Sept-2014: In what is considered as a rare feat, Ronaldo Laishram, a lad from Manipur has discovered an Main Belt Asteroid MAUR 397 as part of All India Asteroid Search Campaign (AIASC) 2014. The discovery was made along with his team members of Team Salonivia Conquerors.
Ronaldo & team used exclusive data to look at specific parts of the sky and by using a complex procedure called ”Astrometrica”, they tracked objects by looking at the images of the sky provided by telescope-based in the US to see which of the objects moving over time could be a possible asteroid.
The asteroid search is conducted globally by the international Astronomical Search Collaboration(IASC),and in India by SPACE,a Delhi-based science popularisation organisation that conducts space-related events and competitions for students.The IASC released real time data of space from which Ronaldo made his observations through a special software and sending daily reports to the IASC. ”It is therefore important to keep a close watch on these objects for the safety of the Earth,” said an official from SPACE. He added”All observations contribute to the Near Earth Object(NEO) data compiled by NASA and Jet Propulsion Lab(JPL)”.
Ronaldo, who is currently studying Computer Science and Engineering in SJCE, Mysore, is the youngest son of Laishram Mahajon and L(O) Sanahanbi of Khangabok, Thoubal District Manipur. Having always been fascinated by Celestial objects, he was interested in researching and observing celestial objects since childhood. He gave the credit to God, his parents,teachers and his friends.
SCJE Principal Dr. Syed Shakeeb Ur Rahman and SPACE CEO Amit Verma have congratulated the team for achieving the rare feat.
