Grade 7 student Siddharth Patel from Clara Brenton Public School is being celebrated nationally after earning one of the top honours at the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF).

Siddharth received the Platinum Award for Discovery (Junior Division) at the 2026 CWSF in Edmonton, AB, for his project Automating Asteroid Detection Criteria to Strengthen Citizen Science for Planetary Defense.

Siddharth developed a custom computer algorithm that helps streamline the process of detecting asteroids in telescope images, improving the accuracy and reliability of citizen science efforts in planetary defence.

His national win builds on earlier success this year, when he earned gold and other special awards at the Thames Valley Science and Engineering Fair and advanced to represent the region at the CWSF. The event is Canada’s largest annual youth STEM competition, bringing together top young innovators from across the country.

Siddharth’s passion for space science is well established. In 2025, he discovered two provisional asteroids through a NASA-affiliated citizen science initiative and has since been featured on CTV News and CBC Radio for his work and insights.

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