Bruna Pontes is a 15-year-old teenager who cultivates simple habits. In her academic life, she prefers is for the disciplines of geography and sciences. And it was in this regard that she saw her life transform when she had an asteroid named after her.

Bruna lives with her family in Morangaba, which is in the Campos dos Goytacazes district of northern Rio de Janeiro. In her free time, she likes to walk and read. In the Seventh-day Adventist Church she attends, she serves as a deaconess, sound engineer, and associate with the Youth Ministry, in addition to actively participating as a volunteer in the Caleb Mission.

Bruna is a student at a municipal school in her neighborhood. In Campos dos Goytacazes, the public network is encouraged with research incentive programs, through a project called Viva a Ciência na Escola.

The program formed a partnership with the Campos Astronomy Club and, in 2019, Bruna was one of the students chosen to participate in the club. At that time, she was 13 years old. For a month, she spent three hours a day observing images — a job done 25 years ago by the Campos Astronomy Club.

As part of the process, Bruna participated in the Asteroid Search Program (IASC) and excelled in the discoveries and observations of asteroids. For her performance, she was nominated to receive the award. In her honor, the asteroid 2013 EG44 was named "Brunapontes". Bruna entered the history of astronomy as one of the youngest people in the world to lend her name to an asteroid.

The award took place two years ago but has only now been approved and published by the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) and WGSBN Bulletin, a publication of the International Astronomical Union (IUA). Bruna received a certificate from NASA for participating in the program

Name in the Stars

Properly certified and with her name written on the stars, the teenager leans toward astronomy as a career. Soon, she will start her scholarship with the Young Astros of Tomorrow project, which has the support and funding of the United States Consulate in Rio de Janeiro in the area of astronomy.

For Bruna, who did not imagine this project would take her so far, it was difficult to express her satisfaction. "It was an extraordinary joy. I never imagined that it would one day happen to me. I don't even have words to express," concluded the teenager.

Bruna Pontes' achievement aroused interest in the local press, leading the teenager to be featured in the media.

This article was originally published on the North American Division’s news site