In 2023, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) bestowed upon him one of the highest honors a scientist can receive—naming a minor planet after him. He joins an elite list of Indian legends like Aryabhatta, Vainu Bappu, and Vikram Sarabhai who have celestial bodies named in their honor.
He is the first Indian elected to the decision-making committees of both the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) in London and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Commission in Meteor Science. Public Outreach: Beyond research, he is a TEDx speaker aswin sekhar
: In June 2023, the IAU officially named a minor planet after him: (33928) Aswinsekhar . This asteroid, located between Mars and Jupiter, is approximately 4.5 km in diameter and takes 4.19 years to orbit the Sun. He joined an elite group of Indian scientists like C.V. Raman and Srinivasa Ramanujan to receive this honor. In 2023, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) bestowed
The size and quality of the Aswin Sekhar serve as markers of social stratification. In the Newar community and other specific ethnic groups, the rigidity of the practice varies. Wealthier lineages often use the Sekhar to display affluence, converting a religious rite into a spectacle of economic status. Conversely, for lower-income families, the inability to provide a "respectable" Sekhar can induce social shame, highlighting the commodification of religious duty. Public Outreach: Beyond research, he is a TEDx
, this paper explores how gravitational interactions with large planets can alter the precession of smaller bodies like comets. "Three-body resonance in meteoroid streams"
While superficially a simple act of gift-giving, the Aswin Sekhar functions as a fundamental unit of social exchange. This paper argues that the Aswin Sekhar is not merely a financial transaction but a symbolic capital that solidifies intergenerational bonds, delineates social status, and acts as a barometer for the economic health of the participating families.
In the Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley, the Mohani festival holds specific nuances. The exchange of Sekhar is intertwined with complex kinship networks. Here, the Sekhar is not just about money but about maintaining the Guthi (societal) obligations. The refusal or inability to participate in the exchange of Sekhar can lead to social ostracization,