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Stellar honour: UAE astronomer has asteroid named after him
The asteroid is named after Mohammad Shawkat Odeh, who is the director of the Abu Dhabi-based International Astronomy Centre
Jordanian astronomer Mohammad Shawkat Odeh. Photo: Astronomy Centre
A UAE resident now has an achievement of astronomical proportions: An asteroid has been named after him.
Asteroid Odeh, previously known as 2001 RS87, is orbiting the sun, bearing the name of Mohammad Shawkat Odeh. The name change was effected by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
Odeh is the director of the Abu Dhabi-based International Astronomy Centre. Talking to Khaleej Times, the UAE astronomer said he was surprised when he came to know about the recognition.
“I was not even aware that I was nominated for this. Usually, this recognition is reserved for people who do some remarkable work. I am so honoured that they have acknowledged my work,” he said.
Odeh is now preparing to learn more about the asteroid that bears his name. “I will try to spot it from our observatory tonight,” he said excitedly.
The engineer has been honoured for his efforts in establishing a network of cameras that records meteors. Set up in 2017, the UAE Astronomical Cameras Network (UACN) takes a video automatically when a meteor is detected. It detects and records meteor showers, or even reentry of satellite debris. The network has three stations with 16 cameras each. Till date, it has recorded 12 new meteor showers.
Another project that has earned him the acclaim is the Al Khatim Astronomical Observatory he helped establish. “Set up in 2021, the observatory is unique as it is the first robotic one dedicated to spcialised astronomical work,” Odeh explained.
How asteroids are named
Odeh (C) holds team briefing. Photo: Astronomy Centre
Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the sun. They are much smaller than planets.
According to Nasa, the celestial objects — which are sometimes called minor planets — are rocky remnants left over from the “early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago”.
On being discovered, an asteroid is given a provisional name that may consist the year of discovery, two letters and digits (example: 2001 RS87, the asteroid that has been named after Odeh). Its naming is the final step of a long process that may take decades to complete. For example, asteroid Odeh got its name over two decades after its discovery.
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