This asteroid was just named in honor of an Indian working at NASA | Tech News

This asteroid was just named in honor of an Indian working at NASA

Three scientists including Rutu Parekh a planetary geologist have won the honor to have an asteroid named after them.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Jun 25 2023, 13:49 IST
NASA reveals 5 asteroids zooming towards Earth! Check speed, size and more
Meet Rutu Parekh and Kumar Venkatramani, who had asteroids named after them.
1/6 Asteroid 2023 HL – Asteroid 2023 HL is a Near-Earth Asteroid that will make its closest approach to Earth tomorrow, June 17. According to NASA, this asteroid is 45 feet wide. It will come as close as 5.1 million kilometers near Earth and is already moving at a steady speed of 3730 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
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2/6 Asteroid 2023 LW – Asteroid 2023 LW, which is almost 99 feet wide, will make its closest approach to Earth on June 18. The asteroid is already rushing towards Earth slower than other asteroids at a speed of 59963 kilometers per hour and will pass the planet at a distance of 2.3 million kilometers. (Pixabay)
Meet Rutu Parekh and Kumar Venkatramani, who had asteroids named after them.
3/6 Asteroid 2016 LK49 – Asteroid 2016 LK49, with a width of almost 120 feet, will be making its closest Earth approach on June 19. It will come as close as 6.6 million kilometers, according to NASA. The asteroid is moving at a breakneck speed of 69863 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
Meet Rutu Parekh and Kumar Venkatramani, who had asteroids named after them.
4/6 Asteroid 2023 HF1 – A huge asteroid named Asteroid 2023 HF1 is heading for Earth and will make a close approach on June 21. This asteroid, with an estimated width of 300 feet, is heading for Earth at a blistering speed of 15727 kilometers per hour. It will miss Earth at a distance of 4.7 million kilometers. (Pixabay)
Meet Rutu Parekh and Kumar Venkatramani, who had asteroids named after them.
5/6 Asteroid 2002 LT38 – Asteroid 2002 LT38, which is almost 1400 feet in width, is heading for Earth and will make a close approach on June 24. This asteroid is heading towards Earth at a blistering speed of 25735 million kilometers per hour and will miss Earth at a distance of 6.6 million kilometers. (Pixabay)
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6/6 NASA has a new impact monitoring system in place that uses an algorithm called Sentry-II to calculate the impact risk of Near-Earth Objects. NASA can track the orbital path of the asteroid using this infrared data and can even predict its orbit years into the future. (NASA CNEOS)
Meet Rutu Parekh and Kumar Venkatramani, who had asteroids named after them.
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Meet Rutu Parekh and Kumar Venkatramani, who had asteroids named after them.

In yet another proud moment for India, Rutu Parekh, a planetary geologist from Gujarat, and three other scientists were honored for their achievements. Rutu Parekh had an an asteroid named after her - Asteroid 2000HD73 is has been renamed as “Rutu Parekh”, Times of India reported.

Parekh had completed her BSC from St. Xavier's College in Biochemistry and Chemistry. She did her M.Sc. from Canter for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT University) in Geomatics and Remote Sensing. Furthermore, she completed her M.Sc. - Earth Science Thesis focusing on Martian volcanism and surface geomorphology from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. And now she is working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a post-doctoral researcher at NASA (USA).

Kumar Venkatramani, another scientist from Ahmedabad has also received similar recognition as Asteroid 2000SM362 has been renamed as “Kumar” in his honor. Kumar had done his Ph.D. from IIT- Gandhinagar.

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A total of four Indian scientists have been honored. The working small bodies Nomenclature of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) is responsible for naming celestial objects. On june 22, IAU renamed 198 celestial objects in honor of scientists who contributed to the astrophysics of which four scientists are Indian.

Rutu Parekh, in an email response to TOI, said, “As a planetary scientist, it will open doors for many more research opportunities to enhance my knowledge, skills, and expertise.”

Kumar Venkatramani also told ToI, "It will surely inspire me to achieve more in the field I love."

Along with Rutu Parekh and Kumar Venkatramani, Aswin Sekhar and Ashok Verma were also included in the list of 198 scientists who were honored with the recognition.

What is an Asteroid?

According to NASA, Asteroids are also known as minor planets which are relatively small, inactive, rocky bodies orbiting the sun. These celestial bodies exist as remnants from the early development of our solar system roughly 4.6 billion years ago, characterized by their airless nature.

The current known asteroid count is 1,298,053. As per NASA reports.

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First Published Date: 25 Jun, 13:49 IST
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