Imagine discovering something in space that no one has ever seen before! That’s exactly what 14-year-old Daksh Malik from Noida did. He found an asteroid! And guess what? NASA has recognized his discovery and will even let him name it.

Daksh, a Class 9 student at Shiv Nadar School, spotted the asteroid, currently called ‘2023 OG40,’ as part of an exciting project. He says it feels like a dream come true. “I’ve always been fascinated by space,” Daksh shared. “Watching documentaries about planets and the solar system inspired me, and now I feel like I’m living my dream.”

Daksh joined the International Asteroid Discovery Project (IADP) through his school’s astronomy club. This cool program is part of the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), which works with NASA. It gives students and space enthusiasts worldwide the chance to discover asteroids.

Using special data and Astronomica software, Daksh and his friends carefully searched for objects that moved like asteroids. It wasn’t easy, but Daksh found something special. He joked, “It felt like I was working at NASA!”

Only a few people each year discover new asteroids, so this is a huge achievement. Before Daksh, only five other students from India had named asteroids. It might take four to five years for NASA to fully verify Daksh’s discovery, but he’s already thinking about names. His ideas? Something dramatic like “Destroyer of the World” or mysterious like “Countdown.”

Daksh’s story shows how curiosity and hard work can lead to amazing achievements. Maybe one day, you’ll spot something in space too! 🚀