São Paulo – Brazilian Nicole Oliveira received the Global Child Prodigy Awards in the United Arab Emirates this year. Nicolinha, as she is nicknamed by her family and on her social media, was honored in the World Astronomy category. Born in Alagoas, she is only nine years old and already considered one of the youngest astronomers in the world.
With an extensive curriculum, the girl is also one of the youngest astronomers in the affiliate program of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In the project, called ‘Asteroid Hunt,’ she has identified 35 asteroids so far, reported the little scientist’s mother, Zilma Janacá.
For this and other achievements, the Emirati prize listed the Brazilian as one of the 100 child prodigies of the year at the ceremony that took place in August. “I received an email informing me I had been selected, and I believe it was because of the countless reports I have participated in all over the world, for the recognition of my work in astronomy,” she explained to ANBA.
The trip to the United Arab Emirates was Nicole’s first overseas adventure. “I was really happy and looking forward to meeting the other child prodigies, and I really loved the place. I had never traveled outside my country,” she revealed.
The girl traveled to the Gulf country with her mother and father, Jean Carlo, and spent two days there. “The experience in Dubai was wonderful; their culture is very different. I was able to enjoy and get to know tourist spots like the Frame and the Museum of the Future; I loved it very much,” said Nicole.
Little scientist
The girl from Alagoas is not just one of the youngest people studying astronomy; her roots were even earlier. “I started interested in astronomy when I was two. Every time I stayed on the porch of my house looking at the sky, the stars, and the moon, all this enchanted me. And when I was four years old, I traded all my birthday parties for a telescope, but I only got it when I was seven,” she told ANBA.
While waiting for the instrument, at age six, the Alagoas girl entered her first course focused on the subject she was passionate about. The Astronomy Initiation certificate came from the Astronomical Studies Center of Alagoas. “I discovered a lot there, and I was blown away the first time I saw Saturn and Jupiter in the telescope. I was the only child among the adults.”
In the NASA program, in partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI) and the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), Nicole also participated in seminars and international meetings with influential names in science. Also, in ‘Asteroid Hunt,’ she has already received a medal of honor for her active participation and being one of the prominent asteroid hunters in the program.
Now, the girl is also the first child member of the Engineers Association of Brazil’s Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA) and an ambassador to institutions such as Fortaleza’s Rubens de Azevedo Planetarium.
The little astronomer also has a YouTube channel, where she shares information on astronomy, in addition to interviewing and being interviewed by different guests. A scientific promoter, the Brazilian also works to encourage other children to become interested in different studies with actions such as Nicolinha&Kids, a club she founded to bring information and opportunities in science and technology to children.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
