A group of 40 students from all across Pakistan participated in the first All Pakistan Asteroid Search Campaign (APASC) organized by students from the Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad. The month-long campaign took place from 21st October to 15th November 2022 where researchers and students from high schools, colleges, and universities participated as citizen scientists to make real asteroid discoveries using data provided by telescopes in Hawaii.
The campaign was affiliated with NASA and the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), which is responsible for conducting such campaigns internationally to promote space education and exploration among young aspiring scientists.
These campaigns bestow the participants with an opportunity to learn what it is like to learn new skills, make actual discoveries, and the importance of collaboration in the scientific world. The students also get to name their discovered asteroids along with certificates stamped by NASA and IASC.
This campaign was brought to Pakistan and hosted by Muhammad Rehmoz Salahuddin Ayub, Dilawaiz Saghir, Malik Nauman Rauf, and Faryal Batool of Space Society IST through their year-long endeavors to bring such initiatives to Pakistan. It was executed in collaboration with Nasir Rizwan of the Attock Astronomical Society.
“I participated along with 3 other team members in a similar campaign hosted from India back in 2021 where we made 5 original asteroid discoveries. Then we (our team) thought: why can’t we bring such a campaign to Pakistan?” Rehmoz said in a statement.
There are campaigns in IASC hosted by countries like India, Poland, and Bangladesh but never from Pakistan. Pakistan is by no means short of any talent or passion for space exploration. There is just a lack of opportunities which we vowed to present to 40 bright and passionate students from Pakistan absolutely free of charge.
This is the first event of its kind in Pakistan. Previously, this group of students also launched Pakistan’s first space-themed magazine: The Cosmic Herald.