The cosmos now bears the name of a Moroccan, Youssef Moulane, engraved forever on an asteroid.
“I am proud. Proud of myself, of my work and of my country, Morocco”, announces this young man born in 1992 in Rhamna, in a telephone call, after the end of the conference on Asteroids, Comets and Meteorites (ACM) , which took place from June 18 to 23, 2023 in Flagstaff, Arizona, and where the ACM granted the name of the young Moroccan to an asteroid which was discovered on May 30, 2000 at the Lowell Observatory. This celestial rock mass, with a diameter of 18 kilometers, carries with it a puzzling potential. A potential source of immeasurable wealth, it could also trigger a devastating tsunami or wipe out entire cities.
This is the eternal dilemma of asteroids, true messengers of the stars, and it is this mystery that the young Moroccan researcher has chosen to explore. Youssef Moulane, like the stars he studies, has followed an upward trajectory from the benches of Lycée Skhour to the highest echelons of international research. While he has always continued his studies on the benches of the Moroccan public school, he did not hesitate to take advantage of opportunities offered by Erasmus scholarships, Erasmus Plus, as well as the European Observatory of Chile and the University of Liège, to transcend borders, moving from his native Morocco to France, from Belgium to Chile and then finally to the United States at the heart of Auburn University in Alabama, where he did his postdoctoral research.
Celestial bodies
In 2021, Youssef reached an academic peak by obtaining the title of Doctor of Sciences from Cadi Ayyad University, under the joint supervision of Emmanuel Jehin and Zouhair Benkhaldoun. His thesis, “Monitoring Comet Activity and Composition with TRAPPIST Telescopes,” opened up new avenues in understanding these enigmatic space travelers. Indeed, for five years, Youssef scanned the skies with insatiable passion, analyzing data from 35 comets collected by the TRAPPIST-North and TRAPPIST-South robotic telescopes.
His contribution to research has broadened our view of the universe, providing valuable insight into the chemical composition of comets and their role in cosmic history. The asteroid ‘Moulane’, a symbol of Youssef’s hard work, also highlights the importance of the study of celestial bodies for the preservation of our planet. “Asteroids, small rocky objects located mostly between planets, are like space fossils that help us understand the history of the solar system. They are the source of most meteorites and, with some of their orbits crossing that of the earth, they can pose a potential threat, like the one that may have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. .
In addition, these celestial bodies could one day be exploited for their mineral resources, offering an economic opportunity and a possible base for the future colonization of the solar system” explains Youssef. Guided by his Moroccan heritage, Youssef plans to return to his country to share and develop the knowledge acquired during his academic journey. He sees in its history an example of what Moroccan science can accomplish and aspires to contribute to the evolution of science in Morocco and Africa. Youssef Moulane, much more than a researcher, is a true pioneer of astronomy modern, a man whose name, engraved in the starry sky, embodies humanity’s desire to understand the universe around us.
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