Today I am happy because a young girl (she is 15 years old), from Andalucia --like me-- has just discovered an asteroid, surely never discovered before.
This girl (Monica Sevilla Fernández) is studying in the Institute Fray Luis of Granada; she is one of the groups who started the First Draft Introduction to Astronomy in Secondary School, organizaed by their teacher, Javier Pérez Cáceres, who is an astrophysicist.He organized several groups, with 77 students of Secondary from 4 Institutes of Granada. Those students were to the Institute of Astronomy of Andalucia, during several days, in order to work with the astronomers, using the data collected by the two telescopes that the Institute of Astronomy has in Chile and Argentina.At least, they designed 9 science projects.
After that, they had to send the data to The Minor Planet Center, in United States; then, if it is confirmed, Mónica will can choose a name for that asteroid --she has said she will choose MSF, as her name--.
The teacher, Javier Perez, started this idea because he had several bilingual students.He wanted to make a test, using the English and the new technologies.
The last wenesday, Monica and other participants received the awards for the "First Draft Introduction to Astronomy in Secondary", in the Palace of Congress of Granada.
Of course, all of that is also thanks to Emilio Alfaro, as the Director of the Institute of Astronomy of Andalucia, because he let to Javier Perez and his students start to work in several science projects.
I am glad, knowing that there is a young people abble to discover its vocation and its future.By the moment, Monica has said that she wants to be an astronomer.
I hope that other teachers are abble to start another similar projects, in order to give young people other ways in its education.