A 7-yr-old girl helped NASA with discovering 7 new asteroids and in the pursuit became the youngest astronomer in the world. Nicole Oliviera from Brazil proved that no age is too less or too more in staying curious and go where the heart tells. Little Nicole is a member of NASA and recently took part in a citizens-based science programme, Asteroid Hunt that was started by the International Astronomical Search Collaboration.
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Recently a lot of records related to astronomy and space have been made. 18-year-old Oliver Daemen became the youngest person ever to visit space while Wally Funk became the oldest person to do so with 82 years behind her back. Now, with the help of the discovery of asteroids, a little girl has become the youngest astronomer in the world. Nicole from Brazil didn’t discover one or two, but seven asteroids to take part in the Asteroid Hunt program by the IASC.
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Meet 7-year-old Nicole Oliviera
7-year-old Nicole Oliviera is based in Brazil and has immense curiosity for all-things-astronomy. According to reports, she took part in the citizen science programme Asteroid Hunt where she helped in the discovery of 7 new asteroids. The space programme is run by the IASC (International Astronomical Search Collaboration) and also includes NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).
Under the new program, she helped NASA in the discovery of the asteroids and Nicole was also awarded a certificate as an appreciation for her efforts. The International Astronomical Search Collaboration took to Facebook to congratulate little Oliveira and wrote-
“Here is Nicole Oliveira de Lima Semiao and her parents, Zilma Janaca de Lima Semiao and Jean Carlo Lessa Semiao from Fortaleza, Brazil. They participated in the IASC asteroid search campaign sponsored by the Ministry of Science, Technology, & Innovations (Brasilia, D F).”
Here is Nicole Oliveira de Lima Semião and her parents , Zilma Janacá Oliveira de Lima Semião and Jean Carlo Lessa…
Posted by International Astronomical Search Collaboration on Wednesday, 20 January 2021
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With Great Achievements, Come Greater Responsibilities
However, with great achievements, comes even greater responsibilities. Recently, Oliveira was asked to speak at the Brazil Ministry of Science, Technology’s 1st ever International Seminar on Astronomy and Aeronautics. The little girl was not caught off guard with the hefty challenge as she was already used to lecturing in nearby schools the town of Maceio.
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Taking a Course at CEAAL at 6-yrs
The Brazilian Ministry of Science and Tech invited Oliveira after they found out she is the youngest Alagoas Astronomical Studies Centre, Centro de Estudos Astronomico de Alagoas (CEAAL) member. At just 6 years of age, when most of us look above at the sky in wonderment, she took a course given by CEAAL, attended all the classes and then taking the exams.
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Humans and their Interest for Asteroids
For the unversed on the matters of space and asteroids, asteroids hold a special place in the minds of astronomy enthusiasts as they hold the secrets to how they form. More importantly, given the fact that they plummet down from the space to Earth, and get crumbled while entering the atmosphere, its relatively rare for them to be found out my people.
Interestingly enough, the first human to discover asteroid was Giuseppe Piazzi. The priest, astronomer and physicist discovered the first ever asteroid and called it Ceres.
