Although he has never met Amar A Sharma, David H Levy has named asteroid 380607, he first spied in 2004 after the city-based amateur astronomer.

Bangalorean Amar A Sharma joined a galaxy of Greek gods, Roman heroes and even Dr Spock, the Vulcan in Star Trek, by having an asteroid named after him. David H Levy, the world’s elite US astronomer, has named an asteroid he discovered after Amar, making him the first Indian non-scientist amateur astronomer to receive the honour.

Surprisingly, Levy and Sharma, a resident of Kumaraswamy Layout, have never met in person and only interacted online over the last several years. Levy, discovered asteroid 380607 over a course of 10 years in his Arizona observatory. The International Astronomical Union has officially named the asteroid, ‘380607 Sharma’ last week, bringing the 29-year-old Amar and Bangalore’s name on the top of India’s amateur astronomy list.Sharma says it is “more than a dream come true”. Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, Sharma said, “Levy is among the elite amateur astronomers in the world. He must really like me for naming it after me. He must have met so many eminent people in the field, but he decided to name it after me. Many people aspire for such an honour. You are always hoping that someday someone will recognise your work. He could have named it after anyone. But that he has chosen me, gives me a special feeling.”

Sharma moved to Bangalore with his parents in 1997 and studied high school in AV Education in JP Nagar before completing his BSc in National College. His interest in astronomy began after a visit to Bannerghatta National Park in 2000. “I looked up and saw millions of stars and my love with astronomy began. This kindled my curiosity. The first chapter in my X syllabus was named ‘Universe.’ This made me turn my head to the sky. In 2002 I visited the Nehru Planetarium and met members of the amateur astronomers club ABAA.”

Amar went on to co-found the Bangalore Astronomical Society in 2006. He is now pursuing his activities independently while working at the Yoga Nikaya Observatory off Hosur. He was also the first sole discoverer of a celestial object in modern times from India. “It was an accidental discovery,” says Sharma about the variable star, Mira, he discovered in June 2012 using a CCD camera. “People in India do not usually get the chance to discover things by themselves.”

Not Seen The Asteroid

There are uncertainties about the size of 380607 Sharma. “It needs a special telescope to see this asteroid,” Sharma said. “A medium-sized telescope with a CCD camera can capture it. With the equipment I have or even from Nikaya Observatory, there is very little chance of me seeing it. It can be seen with professional telescope setups in India, but who will spare precious time for me? I will hopefully find someone willing to take a photograph of the asteroid for me. It is very difficult.” Amar’s biggest dream is to become the first Indian to discover a comet.

Most Fascinating

Amar says that astronomy is the most fascinating, but the most ignored subject in India. “I have dedicated my life to astronomy. For many it is a hobby, for me it is a job to spread the knowledge of astronomy to people. For the last 12 years, it has been the burning passion inside me and grows each day.”

The 29-year-old is currently writing a book which he says will be an in-depth narration of astronomy for all age groups. “Astronomy is my mission in life. I have seen most things out there. The book will tell everything I have learnt and hope it is an inspiration for everyone.”

David Levy had discovered an asteroid, between Mars and Jupiter, in 2004. The same asteroid has been found yet again on the same orbit recently. It is mandatory for astronomers to name their discoveries in the Solar System by registering with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in the US. Astronomers are supposed to provide documentary evidence of details of their telescope, camera, time and place besides explaining about the latitude and longitude of the observatory. The IAU committee will verify the documents and discovery before making it legal and consider for publication. While it is common for astronomers to name their discoveries after them, Levy has chosen to name it after Amar Sharma as he was impressed by the Bangalore lad’s interest in astronomy. The IAU committee has ratified the naming of asteroid last week.

WHAT IS AN ASTEROID?

planets between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter orbiting around the Sun. Their dimensions range from a few centimeters to several kilometres. There are millions of asteroids in the asteroid belt, many of them yet to be identified.

Asteroids are formed of left over rock and other material mass during the formation of Solar System. These objects were too small to make a planet and most of them are made of rock, carbon and other metals. Depending on their surface composition, asteroids have been classified in to several types. While it is common in the field of astronomy to name a comet after its discoverer, asteroids can be named after anybody by their discoverers.

Newly discovered asteroids are generally given a provisional name (largely in numbers) denoting the year of discovery. An alpha- umeric code suggesting the half-month of discovery and the sequence within the halfmonth will also be used to identify the asteroid. Once the orbit of the asteroid is confirmed, it is given a number and later could also be given a name suggested by their discoverer. 

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Cover Story / by Bangalore Mirror Bureau / May 01st, 2014