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Meteor scientist Aswin Sekhar has joined the organising committee of the prestigious Commission F1 Meteors, Meteorites, and Interplanetary Dust. The Commission comes under the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which promotes research, communication, education, and development in the astronomical sciences.
Aswin, who hails from Ottappalam in Kerala’s Palakkad district, was selected to the 8-member organising committee during an IAU conference held from July 7 to 11 this year in Perth, Australia.
“I see this as a chance to introduce newcomers to the wonders of the skies. I hope this role will help Indian applicants identify and pursue their talents in astronomy.” Aswin tells TNM.
The Commission’s organising committee sets definitions and terminologies on matters pertaining to meteor science. They commission papers for special editions of scientific journals and organise conferences across the world.
Aswin is also a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS) in the UK and serves on the organisation’s membership committee.
He currently works as an astronomer at the Paris Observatory, under the French Ministry of Science and Education.
“My job is to forecast outer space particles and assess their collision risks with our satellites. We work on projects that ensure the safety of space missions and astronauts,” he explains.
Asteroids, meteor showers and books
Back in 1998, encouraged by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) Additional Director Krishna Warrier, 13-year-old Aswin watched the spectacular Leonid meteor storm. This experience sparked his fascination with astronomy.
A meteor storm is differentiated from a meteor shower when there are at least 1,000 meteors per hour, NASA says. The Leonid meteor shower occurs mid-November every year and peaks to a meteor storm approximately every 33 years, NASA adds.
Aswin would go on to co-author papers with his PhD advisor, British astronomer David Asher, and noted French astronomer Jeremie Vaubaillon on meteor showers such as the Leonids, Orionids and Perseids.
His journey has been full of surprises, Aswin notes. “Coincidentally, David’s father, Ronald Eaton Asher, has a connection with Kerala. He was a friend of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and also translated his books to English.”
Famed linguistic scholar RE Asher, who passed away in 2022, was deeply interested in Dravidian languages, particularly Malayalam and Tamil. During his seven decades of research, he translated beloved authors, including Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, with whom he shared a close bond.
In 2023, the IAU named an asteroid, also referred to as a minor planet, after Aswin for his contributions to the field of meteor astronomy. The asteroid was named ‘(33928) Aswinsekhar = 2000 LJ27’ after its discovery in 2000 by the NASA-funded Lowell Observatory's Near-Earth Object Search Program (LONEOS) at the Anderson Mesa in Arizona.
Along with Aswin, three other Indians, astrophysicist Ashok Kumar Verma, Caltech astronomer Kumar Venkataramani and planetary scientist Rutu Parekh, were similarly honoured by the IAU.
Astronomical sciences in India
“Even though India is a space science superpower, interest among the new generation is relatively low. Only educational policy can change that,” Aswin says.
He points out how schools across Europe and the US are equipped with telescopes. “We must adapt that in India. Basic telescopes that cost Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 are available. These are affordable. Schools can be equipped with such telescopes through a collective effort.”
Recalling lectures he had given at Eklavya Model Residency Schools (EMRS) that are run by the Union government for Adivasi children, Aswin says, “The children were curious about the subject. They asked me intelligent and sharp questions. But there are no channels for helping and guiding them.”
Aswin adds, “If we can give them periodic career guidance by forming a forum that includes existing Indian scientists, we can help them become top astronomers and astronauts.”
He also points out how astronomy in India is often confused with astrology.
“After the asteroid was named after me, a few cricket and cinema industry celebrities asked me to check their horoscopes. They thought that I was an astrologer,” Aswin recalls.