This young woman in Oman has set her dreams sky-high

With her gaze firmly fixed on the stars and a down-to-earth attitude, the latest success of this young woman in Oman has only spurred her interest in what lies beyond our planet.

“It’s a mix of excitement, joy, relief and nervousness all mixed in together. When the date of results was near I was feeling nervous but when I saw my name on the winner’s list I was extremely happy and relieved as my hard work paid off.”

Moneesah Abeer Fatimah may be aiming to one day understand the mystery of the stars and the vastness of the universe, but for now, she has her feet very much on the ground.

Her performances at the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition – one of the toughest in her field – saw the organisers name her an IAAC ambassador, after she finished third overall, among more than 6,500 participating students from 98 countries.

More accolades came in the form of the National Award for Oman, and the Gold Honour, which is given to participants who finish among the top one percent of the competition, as well as a cash prize, certificates, and publications of her achievement in the scientific publication, the International Youth Journal.

“Being an ambassador brings with it great responsibilities, such as encouraging and engaging students and even the public towards astronomy and astrophysics,” she reveals. “This can be achieved by organising activities that will develop interest in astronomy among people. I will be setting up workshops, activities, and competitions in order to attract and engage students towards astronomy.”

Moneesah’s preparations for the competition needed to be balanced alongside her academics: she’s currently pursuing a master’s degree in computer science and forensics from the University of Bedfordshire in the UK and Majan University College in Oman. Much like the sun she seems keen to one day research, though she sees the overwhelmingly bright side of how this competition will help her in the years to come.

“The IAAC is one of the biggest, toughest and prestigious online astronomy competitions that offers students the opportunity to hone their skills and unleash their creativity in fields of astronomy and astrophysics,” says Moneesah.

“It comprises three rounds: the qualification round, pre-final round, and final round,” she adds. “Each level requires problem-solving skills and comprehensive knowledge about the subjects.”

The IAAC aims to grill students on a number of topics related to the ways of the universe. A keen knowledge of astronomy and astrophysics aside, a keen grasp of physics and mathematics, sharp analytical skills, and the ability to work out problems using logic and reasoning are key parts of the competition.

This is not the first astronomy competition Moneesah has won recently: in 2019, she won NASA’s Astrophoto Challenge, in which budding space scientists were challenged to take pictures of parts of our universe that are rarely seen.

While the IAAC event is normally held on-site, the COVID-19 pandemic threw up unprecedented challenges, which were worked around by allowing candidates to take part in the competition via Zoom and Google Meet. They had to record their entire proceedings and upload these to the IAAC servers for their examiners to mark them.

The competition culminated in a 40 minute test, consisting of 40 questions that needed solving, and tested their resolve and capabilities under pressure. Only those with a burning passion for astronomy sign up for this test, the best among them need to use all of their mettle to make it through to the other side.

“It would be nice if I am able to use these applications in the field of space science,” she says. “I would really like to expand my knowledge in the fields in which I am pursuing my career, because I am passionate about these subjects.

“It was not possible to win this prestigious and international competition without the support and encouragement from my parents and all my educators,” she admits. “I would like to thank them for their guidance and support to help me achieve this goal. I would like to thank all my teachers, my head of department Jacintha Menezes, Vijaya Padmanabha, and Jaya Ramesh for their encouragement.” – [email protected]
--