A core aspect of Sekhar’s work involves modeling the evolution of meteoroid streams—streams of debris left behind by comets and asteroids. He investigates how these streams are perturbed by planets, especially Jupiter, and how they evolve over time to create annual meteor showers observed on Earth. 2. Machine Learning in Meteor Classification
In a 2024 keynote at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) meeting, he said: "We are the first generation of humans capable of both destroying our planet and protecting it. The telescope is a time machine, but it is also a mirror. When I look at an asteroid, I see a future we can choose to avoid. When I see a satellite streak, I see a future we are sleepwalking into." aswin sekhar
However, the decisive spark came in 1998. A 13-year-old Aswin was encouraged by Krishna Warrier, an Additional Director at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), to watch the spectacular Leonid meteor storm. This experience was transformative. It turned a childhood fascination into a lifelong mission to understand the small celestial bodies that streak across our sky, from comets and asteroids to the meteor showers that enchant stargazers. A core aspect of Sekhar’s work involves modeling
Aswin often shares that he never attended an IIT or IIM, nor did he follow the traditional high-pressure path often expected of Indian science students. Instead, he studied at local colleges like Mahatma Gandhi College in Kerala and VIT University before earning his PhD in the UK. He calls his international success—including having an asteroid named after him—a "sweet revenge" for everyone who works hard in small institutes without the backing of famous "brand name" schools. Guarding the Planet Today, based at the Paris Observatory Machine Learning in Meteor Classification In a 2024
Professor Aswin Sekhar FRAS - Indian Centre for Space Physics
Dr. Sekhar has been at the forefront of innovating how meteors are observed and analyzed. 1. Mobile Observation of Meteor (MoMET) Device