Meet Kerala astronomer Aswin Sekhar, whose name shines bright on an asteroid

The International Astronomical Union, earlier this year, named a minor planet after Indian meteor astronomer Aswin Sekhar

Growing up in Cherpulassery, a small town in Palakkad, Kerala, in the ‘90s, Aswin Sekhar had access to pristine night skies. Light pollution was less. So, staring at the vast expanse of stars overhead, twinkling like precious gems, left an indelible mark on young Aswin’s impressionable mind. Back then, he did not know a celestial object would bear his name in the future.

In June, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) named an asteroid after Aswin, 38, to honour his contribution to the field of meteors in meteoroid stream dynamics. The asteroid, discovered in 2000 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth-Object Search programme (funded by NASA), will be called (33928) Aswinsekhar = 2000 LJ27. 

Aswin apart, three other Indians — astronomer Kumar Venkataramani, senior flight dynamics engineer Ashok K. Verma, and planetary geologist Rutu Parekh — also had asteroids named after them. They join an elite group of Indian scientists like Srinivasa Ramanujan, Subramanyan Chandrasekhar, CV Raman, Vikram Sarabhai, and Vainu Bappu, who have had the same honour. Other eminent Indians like Mohandas Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Viswanathan Anand also have minor planets named after them. But that is through a “ceremonial nomenclature”, wherein the discoverer of the celestial body can name it after the IAU nomenclature committee’s approval. In the “non-ceremonial nomenclature”, accomplished individuals in the field of astrophysics nominate a fellow scientist for the IAU’s consideration to have a minor planet named in their honour. Aswin and the other Indians were honoured through the second process.

The news of this naming was an overwhelming and pleasant surprise for Aswin. “The recognition was particularly significant as my expertise lies in meteor sciences, an area considered niche even within the broader field of astrophysics,” he says. “Most attention tends to gravitate towards cosmology, stellar physics, or solar physics, which boasts a much larger community of professionals. This recognition by the IAU felt like a tribute to the legacy of meteor scientists who came before me and those who diligently worked in the field despite lacking acknowledgement.”

A full circle

Two celestial events sparked Aswin’s interest in studying the sky. The first one was the appearance of the Halle-Bopp comet in 1997. “I visited my uncle posted in the Assam rifles in Nagaland, Kohima. And I remember seeing this beautiful comet. The sky was spectacular,” he recalls. 

The second one was the 1999 Leonid meteor shower. Krishna Warrier, a former scientist at C-DAC Research Center in Thiruvananthapuram, had asked him to watch it. The sight of the celestial fireworks left an indelible mark on young Aswin’s mind. But there is also a bit of serendipity to this scientist’s story. “Years later, around 2010, as I ventured on my academic journey, I found myself under the guidance of renowned Scottish astrophysicist Dr David Asher for my PhD studies. Dr Asher was the one who predicted the meteor shower I witnessed back in 1999!” he says. It is tempting to say the stars were aligned in Aswin’s case.

Science and sci-fi

As a solar system dynamicist, Aswin’s day-to-day work revolves around understanding and predicting orbits. “First, there’s a theoretical dimension where I delve into understanding the intricate forces within our solar system. One of my main works has been understanding the periodic gravitational effects between Jupiter, Saturn and meteor showers. 

“The second facet of my work involves validation of theory through real-world observations. This collaboration of theory and practice advances our understanding of the cosmos and contributes to the protection of modern-day satellite systems.”

He also frequently visits scientific institutions and organisations across South India like the Regional Science Centre in Coimbatore, Kerala State Science & Technology Museum in Trivandrum, Indian Institute of Astrophysics and Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru, and Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai.

As someone who closely observes the orbits of celestial bodies, what does he make of Hollywood films and tabloid headlines about apocalyptic collisions?

Aswin chuckles at the question. 

“While certain Hollywood movies, press stories, and social media narratives can, at times, exaggerate the magnitude of celestial threats, the reality remains that these dangers are genuine,” he explains. “About 66 million years ago, an asteroid impact caused the extinction of dinosaurs. More recently, in 1908, an asteroid collision in Tunguska, Siberia, ignited a massive forest fire and vapourised portions of the impacted area. In 2013, Chelyabinsk in Russia experienced the impact of a relatively small asteroid, approximately 15 meters in size. But it shattered buildings and caused numerous injuries. So, there is a need to meticulously study, forecast, and prepare for these potential hazards.”

He reckons science fiction movies bridge the gap between scientific intricacies and public comprehension. “I recall the impact of movies like Independence Day during my formative years. The portrayal of alien invasion stirred my curiosity about extraterrestrial life,” he adds.

Need for better outreach

Though Aswin loves and does science, he is hardly like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. He enjoys life outside the laboratory as well. “I enjoy swimming, badminton, and chess. I like to cook. I go to concerts and film festivals. And I like to travel as well,” he says. Aswin’s work has taken him to over 40 countries. He has been to some of the most picturesque yet challenging terrains of telescope sites like the Himalayan and Nilgiri ranges, isolated spots in the Hawaiian volcanic peaks, Arizona deserts, the Canary Islands and others.

Aswin also likes talking about science to inspire the younger generation. He reckons that Indian scientific institutions need to increase their outreach activities. “In India, these institutions are not easily accessible to the public. Whereas, agencies like NASA have dedicated visitor centres and museums,” he says.

“The foundation of our scientific endeavours rests upon taxpayer funding, which underscores the importance of being accountable and contributing back to society. I believe scientists should communicate with the broader public and students,” he says.

After all, he, too, was inspired by another scientist to look skyward.

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