Eric Foss, a junior at Kentwood High School, won the second place grand award and $1,500 in the physics and astronomy category for his project titled “Star in a Jar” at the 2009 INTEL International Science & Engineering Fair in Reno, Nev. the week of May 10-15.

Foss was a winner at the Washington State Science & Engineering Fair and advance to the engineering fair

In addition, Foss won a first place award of $1,250 from the vacuum technology division of the American Vacuum Society.

As one of the first and second place winners, Foss will have a near earth asteroid named after him. Ceres Connection, a program of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory seeks to name minor planets after students competing at Intel ISEF through the Astronomical Union for naming rights of near earth asteroids. All minor planets named in the Ceres Connection program have been discovered by the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) program.

During the week of the fair, Foss also met new Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien and was interviewed by author Judy Dutton for her new book “Science Fair Season.”

The three top projects from the state fair will soon be on public display at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle.

There they competed with more than 1,500 students from 50 states and 52 countries for recognition at the largest pre-college science and engineering fair in the world. Washington State competitors had their best year ever with both students from state fair winning top prizes.