Twelve-year-old Canadian discovers two asteroids, wins international photography award

1. Twelve-year-old Canadian discovers two asteroids, wins international photography award

Tuesday, December 23, 2025
 

A 12-year-old astronomy enthusiast from London, Ontario has had two asteroid discoveries confirmed by the Minor Planet Center, making him one of the youngest Canadians to achieve this recognition. Siddharth Patel identified the celestial objects in September 2024 while participating in a NASA-affiliated citizen science program, with provisional confirmation announced in October 2025.

The asteroids, catalogued as 2024 RH39 and 2024 RX69, are located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Patel made the discoveries through the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), which allows amateur astronomers to analyze telescope images from professional observatories including the Pan-STARRS facility in Hawaii and the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona.

Since IASC began in 2006, only approximately 161 discoveries have received provisional recognition from participants, placing Patel’s achievement in the top one percent. The confirmation process for asteroids typically takes six to ten years before they receive official numerical designations. Once numbered, discoverers have the opportunity to propose names for their asteroids. Patel has suggested “Canastrosid,” combining Canada and AstroSid, and “Lonastrosid,” combining London and AstroSid, as potential names.

Working with time-lapse sky photographs, Patel identified the asteroids as small moving dots among the stars. According to Federica Spoto of the Minor Planet Center, discovery credits are only assigned once an object receives its official number. Despite the lengthy wait ahead, Patel expressed contentment with the process, stating he would consider it worthwhile even if confirmation takes a full decade.

In addition to his asteroid discoveries, Patel won the People’s Choice Award in DarkSky International’s 2025 “Capture the Dark” photography contest. His winning photograph captured Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) alongside the Milky Way. The image was taken using his mother’s Samsung smartphone in Fingal, Ontario, approximately 40 kilometers south of London, where he traveled to avoid urban light pollution.

Patel has become an advocate for dark-sky preservation as a DarkSky International Global Advocate, a nonprofit organization focused on reducing light pollution. He is also a citizen scientist with Globe At Night, measuring light pollution in his own neighborhood. He regularly hosts astronomy nights in his neighborhood, inviting neighbors to view through his telescopes to observe planets, features of the moon, constellations and other celestial bodies. His advocacy includes giving presentations at school about practical steps to preserve dark skies, such as installing energy-efficient shielded lights that direct light downward and turning off unnecessary lights.

In a November 2025 opinion piece for Canada’s National Observer, Patel wrote about his commitment to protecting the night sky, stating that millions of children in cities rarely see stars and have never experienced the wonder of seeing the Milky Way. He noted that in the United States and Europe, 99 percent of the public cannot experience a natural night. Patel also participates in Canada’s Starfest, an annual three-day dark-sky camping experience for families and scientists.

According to research published in the journal Science, light pollution increases by approximately 10 percent annually and can negatively affect human health and wildlife. Patel has expressed plans to write and independently publish a children’s storybook about light pollution.

Patel’s interest in astronomy began at age five when his father purchased a telescope for him. From the balcony of his family’s downtown London apartment, he would spend evenings observing constellations and planetary objects. His mother, Rajani Ramsagar, who works at a bank, initially thought her son’s fascination would be temporary. However, his commitment became evident when he began requesting to wake at 3 a.m. to observe meteor showers.

Neither of Patel’s parents has a background in science. He has primarily taught himself through documentaries, reading, and experimentation with his telescopes. He now owns four telescopes, two of which he uses for astrophotography. By first grade, he was already conducting late-night sky observations, a practice he continues alongside his seventh-grade studies.

Patel has participated in international competitions including the International Space Olympiad and the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition. He has also visited universities known for aerospace research in both Canada and the United States.

His ultimate goal is to become an astronaut, following the career paths of Canadian Space Agency astronauts Chris Hadfield and Jeremy Hansen. To work toward this objective, Patel joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets this fall to learn aircraft piloting, a required skill for astronaut candidates in Canada. He has cited the film “Interstellar” as an inspiration for his space ambitions.

When asked about his motivation for astronomy, Patel described how visiting dark-sky locations ignites his sense of wonder and has taught him about the mysteries of space. He expressed particular excitement about the view from space itself, noting it would be exceptionally dark with an incredible view of Earth.