Aswin Sekhar ((full)) Jun 2026
Born on October 5, 1985, Aswin Sekhar grew up in Cherpulassery, a small town in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India. Coming from a household rooted in medical practice and traditional health and wellness, his family anticipated he might enter a conventional medical field. Instead, Sekhar spent his childhood nights captivated by the pristine, unpolluted night skies of rural Kerala.
Professor Aswin Sekhar FRAS - Indian Centre for Space Physics
Active in public outreach, citizen science initiatives, and the promotion of astronomy in developing nations.
, Aswin is a "solar system dynamicist". He uses supercomputers to model the past and future paths of asteroids and comets. By understanding these orbits, he helps calculate the risk of space objects colliding with Earth, acting as a first line of defense for the planet and the safety of our satellites. Giving Back to the Roots
Dr. Sekhar’s scientific niche involves predicting how dust, rock fragments, and debris discarded by comets and asteroids travel through space. His work sits at the intersection of observation, historical astronomy, and heavy computational physics. Gender gap in astronomical sciences - Nature aswin sekhar
Despite his global career, he remains deeply connected to his community. He works on science outreach with tribal communities in Wayanad and Idukki, providing mentorship and donating telescopes to rural schools. His mission is to show that a kid from a small village can not only study the stars but eventually have one named after them. Quick Facts: Dr. Aswin Sekhar
If you are interested in a specific area of his work, I can:
By bridging the gap between high-level celestial mechanics and grassroots education, Dr. Aswin Sekhar is ensuring that the next generation of Indian scientists has its eyes fixed firmly on the stars.
Born on October 5, 1985, in Ottapalam, a small town nestled along the pristine Nila River in Palakkad, Kerala, Sekhar grew up immersed in the crystal-clear night skies of rural India. Raised in a family heavily rooted in healthcare and Ayurvedic traditions—his father founded the Kottakkal Ayurvedic Centre in Bahrain—young Aswin chose a drastically different intellectual path. While his surroundings prioritized medicine, he read the foundational texts of Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan, and Charles Darwin. Born on October 5, 1985, Aswin Sekhar grew
His message is consistent: talent is universal, but opportunity is not. His journey from the banks of the Nila River to having his name engraved on an asteroid serves as the most powerful evidence of his belief.
"Your grandfather," Aswin said quietly. "What was his name?"
Born and raised in Kerala, India, Aswin Sekhar’s journey into the stars began on the humid, often-clouded nights of the Malabar Coast. Unlike many astronomers who grew up with pristine dark skies, Sekhar learned to chase clarity through persistence. He completed his Master’s in Physics from the University of Hyderabad, a breeding ground for India’s finest scientific minds.
"A time capsule," she said. "My grandfather left it for me. He said if I ever found it, I was to bring it to Sekhar. He said you would know the frequency." Professor Aswin Sekhar FRAS - Indian Centre for
Did you know there is a minor planet in our solar system named 33928 Aswinsekhar Dr. Aswin Sekhar
CEED, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Norway; formerly linked to the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, Northern Ireland.
In June 2023, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) honoured Sekhar’s contributions by naming a (asteroid) after him: 33928 Aswinsekhar .