Shyamal Patel (18) from the city, made a mark in the international astronomical circuit when he bagged the first prize in the ‘Be an integral astronomer’ competition organised by the European Space Agency (ESA).

Patel, a winner in the senior secondary school category, studied the Galactic Bulge and submitted a paper on- ‘Identification of variability of central galactic objects using integral X-Ray observations’.

The achievement has also earned Patel a visit to the European Space Astronomy Centre at Spain by the end of this year.

Haresh Patel, Shyamal’s father and a professor at the Civil Engineering Department at M S University, said: “He has always been interested in astronomical science and had earlier participated in a competition organised by the Astronomical Society of India, which he had also won. That gave him a chance to attend the International Astronomical Congress-2007.”

Shyamal, a member of the Amateur Astronomical Association of Vadodara (AAAV), had started working on his project right after completing his HSC exam in April 2009.

“He had also taken part in the experiments, which were conducted during the total solar eclipse on June 22 this year,” said Haresh.

A first-year student of Electrical Engineering at Vallabh Vidyanagar, Shyamal wants to pursue a career in astronomical science. “I feel an engineering degree will serve as a base for astronomical science, which I want to pursue later,” said Shyamal.

Rashmi Mehta, principal of Baroda High School in Alkapuri, where Shyamal studied, said: “At school, we are continuously encouraging students to explore newer fields of study. Shyamal had always shown keen interest in astronomy right from Class VIII. It is a matter of pride for the school that our student has made a mark in the international arena.”