Digital Desk: Ariyan Zishan Ahmed, a resident of Ward No 3, Rangia and son of Mirajul Islam and Ruma Nazrin, has achieved a remarkable recognition from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USA.
As part of the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), Ariyan conducted extensive research and exploration of asteroids, earning this prestigious honour from NASA.
He successfully identified two new asteroids, now officially named 2024 VE8 and 2024 VC23 by the IASC.
Currently, Ariyan is pursuing his first semester of a B. Tech degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM).
During the IASC's official research campaign, held between October 25 and November 19, 2024, Ariyan collaborated with NASA to analyse observational data obtained from the Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System), operated by the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy.
Through this analysis, he identified two previously unknown main-belt asteroids, later designated as 2024 VE8 and 2024 VC23.
Main-belt asteroids are large rocky objects that orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
This discovery not only contributes to scientists' understanding the early formation of our solar system but also supports the long-term monitoring of celestial objects in space.