In a remarkable achievement, 14-year-old Daksh Malik from Noida has discovered an asteroid through a NASA-affiliated initiative and will soon have the opportunity to name it. His finding, first submitted last year, has been officially recognized by NASA as a "Provisional Discovery of a Main Belt Asteroid," now identified as 2025 OG40.

Daksh’s fascination with space began at his school’s astronomy club, where he developed a keen interest in space science. In 2024, he joined the International Asteroid Discovery Programme (IADP), which enables students to contribute to real scientific research by discovering and naming new celestial bodies.

Reflecting on his journey, Daksh said, “I thought it would be amazing if I could actually discover and name an asteroid. Although my first try didn’t succeed, it taught me how NASA scientists work to detect objects in space.”

He is now one of only six students across India to have achieved such a discovery through this prestigious programme.