NASRDA Staffers Win Big At Global Astronomy Stage

Two staffers of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) have recorded a milestone in the discovery of Asteroid 2021-RZ190 in Africa.
The Head, Media and Corporate Communications of NASRDA, Dr Felix Ale, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, Sunday, said the members of staff are Mrs Joy Olayiwola and Mr Uche Chukwu.
Ale said they achieved the feat on the platform of Astronomy Without Borders (AWB), an astronomy association in NASRDA, but not limited to the agency.
AWB was founded to support the International Asteroid Search Campaign (IASC), with the aim of conducting worldwide ground and space-based surveys that were geared towards tracking and periodic studies of minor planet bodies.
The Asteriod 2021-RZ190 at its discovery was considered the most eccentric when compared to other discoveries by other African teams.
Speaking, Olayiwola said the Asteroid found was a Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA), which might pose a danger to other planets, especially Earth, “if it veers off its orbit and mostly appear faint.”
According to her, leading astronomy bodies such as the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have surveys all around the world to track these asteroids.
“Most times, the sizes of these faint detections are small, relative to planets between one meter to one kilometer or even bigger.
“They are capable of hitting Earth and could cause destruction, if it veers off its course.
“For some regions, there might be earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis due to the increase in kinetic energy, and if the asteroid is large enough, there could be global impact,” she said.
She further stated that lots of data collected every day during the research, which lasted for four weeks, were made available by IAU to people who were passionate about space technology.
“Whatever is discovered is credited to the researcher. The discoverer also gets the privilege of naming the asteroid after seven to eight years from the discovery date”, she said, and recalled that the discovery date was in September, 2021.
Olayiwola explained that independent research from both renowned and amateur researchers were instrumental in supporting the international community, thereby helping to keep the planet safe.
The Founder, AWB, Mrs Olayinka Fagbemiro, said asteroids with provisional status were maintained in the Minor Planet Center database for many years, until there have been a sufficient number of observations to fully determine the orbit.