Rorisang Mahomo has officially been credited with a provisional asteroid discovery, something she describes as “a different kind of good news”!
Pretoria, South Africa (06 December 2024) — You’d be forgiven for thinking that third-year University of Pretoria student Rorisang Mahomo is an astronomy student or at least involved in one of the scientific fields of study. After all, she just got credited for provisional asteroid detection thanks to her discovery of ‘Main Belt Asteroid 2023 QY50’. But Rorisang isn’t a student of astronomy. She’s a business management student who just so happens to be quite good at doing what astronomers do.
Passionate about the stars ever since she took a school trip to a planetarium in Bloemfontein, the University of Pretoria student couldn’t help but be intrigued when she saw a gazebo during Campaign Week glittered with space art and a telescope.
“I knew that’s where I have to be,” she recalls.
When she discovered that someone from the EMS faculty could join the Blue Crane Space society, she wasted no time in joining.
The society helps foster innovative ideas and gives non-BSc students the chance to learn more about astronomy, amongst other scientific topics. It was here that Rorisang would begin her path to one of her greatest achievements—the discovery of a celestial body provisionally recognised as an asteroid.
In 2023, the Blue Crane Society participated in the International Astronomical Search Collaboration’s (IASC) Asteroid Search, which is an initiative from NASA’s Planetary Defence programme.
Here, citizen scientists around the world use special software to go on an asteroid hunt; analysing the provided images in search of the celestial bodies.
Rorisang downloaded the datasets and immediately got to searching using the Astrometrica programme.
“I identified a movement that matched the description provided by the IASC, and that was the first thing that gave me a bit of certainty that it might be [an asteroid], even before going deeper into the technical process.”
She submitted her report to the IASC via the Minor Planet Centre the same night.
A week later, the IASC shared all the preliminary discoveries of the search campaign. To Rorisang’s great surprise and joy, her discovery was there!
“The excitement was immeasurable,” she said.
A year later, she got the official confirmatory certificate from the IASC that included the provisional name for her asteroid: 2023 QY50.
“It took a whole minute for me to process the news; thinking about how big of a deal this was and that I actually contributed to space science and created new research for scientists. I am truly honoured and overwhelmed. Not only have I made myself and my family proud, but the nation of Lesotho, too.”
She said: “Knowing that you discovered a celestial body is a different kind of good news.”
Professor Chris Theron of the Physics Department applauded the student and all those behind the collaborative effort, including BCS and its Chairperson, Keketso Qhomane, who made the discovery possible.
He shared that the collaboration and success will hopefully inspire students across the country to take part in initiatives like the asteroid search programmes.
“Every contribution of time and effort can lead to discoveries that expand the boundaries of our collective knowledge.”
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