Can you change the trajectory of an asteroid to prevent it from falling to Earth? 2:34
(CNN) –– Two schoolgirls in India discovered an asteroid that is slowly changing its orbit and moving toward Earth.
Radhika Lakhani and Vaidehi Vekariya, both in tenth grade, were working on a school project when they discovered the asteroid, which they named HLV2514.
The girls, from the city of Surat, western India's Gujarat state, were participating in a Space India and NASA project, which allows students to analyze images taken by a telescope located at the University of Hawaii.
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Aakash Dwivedi, an educator and astronomer at Space India, told CNN that students in India were taught how to detect celestial bodies using software that analyzes images collected by NASA's PAN Star telescope. The youth then looked for moving objects in the images.
The project, Dwivedi explained, was intended to involve and educate students in science and astronomy.
"We started the project in June and sent our analysis a few weeks ago to NASA. On July 23, they sent us an email confirming that we had identified an object close to Earth, ”Vekariya, 15, told CNN.
Radhika Lakhani, left, with her project partner Vaidehi Vekariya.
Dwivedi indicated that the asteroid is currently close to the orbit of Mars, but in 1 million years it will change its orbit and get closer to Earth, although even there it will be more than 10 times the distance between Earth and Moon.
"NASA takes asteroids very seriously. As this asteroid is changing its orbit, it has become news, "said Dwivedi.
Asteroids, also known as minor planets, are small rocky objects that orbit the Sun.
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Vekariya said they were unable to celebrate the discovery due to the pandemic, but added: “This was a dream. I want to become an astronaut. "
And he maintained: “It is such a vast subject. There is no limit to looking in space, especially the black hole theory. "
Asteroid NASA
