Citizen scientists from Silchar discovered asteroid “2022 OR13”

way2barak, 27 June : An asteroid named “2022 OR13” has been provisionally registered in the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The asteroid was discovered by members of the citizen science group “Astrogen” based in Silchar, Assam. The team leader of Astrogen is Dr. Himadri Sekhar Das, an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at Assam University, Silchar. The other members of the group are Oishee Jyoti, Akashdeep Mohanta, Saikat Majumdar, Tanushree Bhattacharya, Saptadip Sen, Saunak Bhattacharya, and Sanchali Nath Majumdar.
Asteroid search campaigns are a popular citizen science project facilitated by the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC). Citizen science is a type of public participation in scientific research where individuals or groups collect, report, or analyze data independently or in collaboration with professional scientists.

The IASC provides high-quality astronomical images to citizen scientists worldwide, free of charge. These images are obtained primarily from the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (PAN-STARRS) in the Hawaiian Islands. Citizen scientists use the Astrometrica software to detect asteroids in these images.
The asteroid “2022 OR13” was discovered in an Asteroid Search Campaign held in the month of July 2022. Out of the 40 asteroids discovered by Astrogen, only one is currently listed into ‘provisional detection’ category. It will be included in the final list after further observation by scientists. Importantly, the citizen scientists from the Astrogen group will have the opportunity to rename 2022 OR13 once it is confirmed.
The discovery of this asteroid is a significant contribution to the field of astronomy and it is an inspiration to other citizen scientists. It shows that anyone with an interest in astronomy can make a meaningful contribution to scientific research.