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Monday, July 24, 2023

July 24, 2023

700 quintillion dollars asteroid


 

16 Psyche is a large M-type asteroid discovered by the Italian astronomer Annibale De Gasparis on 17 March 1852 and named after the Greek goddess Psyche.16 stand for sixteenth minor planet in order of discovery.
Psyche is an m-type asteroid “M” stands for metallic the minerals contained in asteroid. Psyche are said to be worth 700 quintillion dollars asteroid. 16 psyche orbits the sun and the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It's about 140 miles in diameter. It's certainly not the most beautiful one and is one out of millions of asteroids in the belt.

       So what's so special about this rock well?  It contains a mother loaded of metals such as gold, iron, nickel etc. 16 psyche is said to be enough to give everyone on earth nearly a hundred billion dollars. NASA has already planned a mission to this asteroid called the psyche mission. Mission includes an Orbiter that's intended to study the origin of planetary cores. Psyche asteroid appears to be the exposed nickel iron core of an early planet terrestrial planets such as earth have metallic cores but since we can't see or measure earth's core directly psyche will help us understand the violent history of collisions and accretion that created terrestrial planets. It was planned for a launch in 2022 but after software delays NASA postponed its launch to July 2023. The launch opportunities in 2023 and 2024 would allow the spacecraft to reach psyche sometime in 2029 or 2030. The mission is estimated to cost 985 million dollars. This includes expenses for the launch on a Space-x falcon heavy rocket and operating costs for the cruise to psyche. According to NASA, gold is a vital strategic resource in space many satellites carry gold-coated MYLAR sheets to protect them from solar heat. Gold is also included in an astronaut's helmet visor which helps deflect solar radiation and then satellite microelectronics that send data around the world.  Rely on gold components to ensure reliable corrosion resistant and static free performance

Friday, July 21, 2023

July 21, 2023

India’s Mission to Sun- Aditya L1 Mission.


 

Aditya L1 Mission is a spacecraft design by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) and other institutes of India to study solar atmosphere.

Objectives of the Mission:-

1.     Study of coronal heating and magneto-metry and solar wind acceleration,  

2.     Origin and monitoring of near-UV solar radiation.

3.     The continuous observation of photosphere, chromosphere and corona, solar energetic particles and magnetic field of the Sun.

Launching Date:- 26 august 2023.

Mission cost:- 378.53 crore.




Thursday, July 13, 2023

July 13, 2023

What is Chandrayaan 3 Mission?

 


    Mission by Indian space research organization( ISRO) it is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan 2. It consists of a Lander and a Rover. The Chandrayaan 3 is scheduled to launch by lvm3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-III) from Sriharikota on July 13 but can be delayed each day up to July 14th.

 The Chandrayan 3 will have a Lander a Rover and a propulsion model. The robo is accommodated inside the Lander there will be certain improvements. The Rover of the upcoming Mission will have in it a heat flow experiment device and spectrometers.

 

 The new Mission has three major objectives these include:-


1.    Safe landing on the moon's surface roving on the moon.

2.     To put the Lander and Rover near the South Pole of the Moon by August 2023.

3.     To achieve some scientific measurements on the surface of the Moon

 

       Chandrayan's Lander will be equipped with five payloads. These are Chandra's surface thermo-physical experiment instrument for lunar seismic activity language probe laser retro reflector array Rover and radio anatomy of moon bounds hypersensitive ionosphere and atmosphere. The vertical velocity with which the Lander will touch down on the lunar surface should be less than 2 meters per second and the horizontal velocity should be less than 0.5 meters per second. The slope must be less than 120 degrees. The mission life of chandrayaan 3 is one lunar day which is equivalent to about 14 Earth days.


Tuesday, July 4, 2023

July 04, 2023

NASA's Parker solar probe


                 The sun is the center of our solar system and the source of life on Earth but it's also a mysterious and dangerous place. Its surface is so hot that nothing can survive there. Its atmosphere is so violent that it sends out streams of charged particles that can harm us and its secrets are so hidden that we can't see them from a far. But what if we could get closer what if we could touch the sun. We might think this is a crazy idea or a fantasy. But it's not reality. It is happening right now NASA's Parker solar probe is on an Epic Quest to touch the sun that's right touch the sun and it has just accomplished a stunning feat it has soared through the sun's upper atmosphere for the first time ever collecting particles and magnetic fields there.
 

                 Now we have some amazing news to share with you in a new study unveiling a new discovery made by the probe. Scientists have uncovered the origin and mechanism of the fast solar wind on the sun's surface. They have also verified that Parker solar probe has penetrated the sun's upper atmosphere for the first time touching the very essence of our star. This is a historic Milestone and a breakthrough for solar science. Parker solar probe and its mission is to touch the sun. Parker solar probe is not just a spacecraft it's a dream come true.

                   A dream started more than 60 years ago. When a physicist named Eugene Parker predicted the existence of the solar wind. He was the first to realize that the sun's Corona was so hot that it could escape the Sun's gravity and create a supersonic flow of plasma that filled the space around the Sun. Parker's theory was revolutionary but it was also controversial many scientists doubted him and challenged him But he was right and NASA decided to honor him by naming their most ambitious solar mission after him Parker solar probe.Parker solar probe was launched in 2018 with a bold goal to touch the sun to do that it had to fly closer to the Sun than any spacecraft before and it had to survive the extreme heat and radiation of the sun's atmosphere.

         But how did it do?  Well it had some clever tricks up its sleeve

·        First it had a powerful rocket that boosted it to incredible speeds at its fastest it can zoom around the Sun at about 430 000 miles per hour.

·         Second it had a thick shield made of carbon composite that protected it from the sun's heat The Shield can withstand temperatures reaching nearly 2500 degrees Fahrenheit, 1377 Celsius that's hotter than lava.

·        Third it had a smart cooling system that kept its instruments at a comfortable temperature the system used water to circulate heat around the spacecraft and radiated away.

·        Fourth it had autonomous software that controlled its orientation and attitude. The software made sure that the shield always faced the Sun and that none of the other parts of the spacecraft were exposed to direct sunlight.

Thanks to these tricks Parker solar probe could fly closer and closer to the Sun breaking records and making history along the way.

                    Parker solar probe it shows that the fast solar wind comes from regions of open magnetic field on the sun called coronal holes. These are areas where magnetic field lines stick out of the surface without looping back inward creating open channels that allow plasma to escape. Probe also found that these coronal holes are like shower heads with jets of plasma emerging from bright spots where magnetic field lines funnel

into and out of the surface. These funnels are huge about 18 000 miles across and have very strong magnetic fields. But how do these Jets produce the solar wind? Well Parker solar probe has an answer for that too. It detected bursts of high energy particles that match the pattern of these funnels suggesting that they are caused by a process called

Interchange reconnection. Interchange reconnection is when oppositely directed magnetic fields pass one another in these funnels and break and reconnect slinging particles out of the sun this process releases energy and creates pressure and flow bursts that drive the solar wind.

            Parker solar probe has entered the sun's upper atmosphere for the first time touching the very essence of our star. The solar wind carries not only particles but also magnetic fields that interact with Earth's magnetic field. This interaction can create beautiful auroras but it can also cause geomagnetic storms that can damage satellites, disrupt power grids and harm astronauts. The solar wind is not always steady and smooth. Sometimes it can be faster or slower denser or thinner hotter or colder depending on what's happening on the Sun. For example when there are explosions on the sun called solar flares or coronal. Mass ejections they can send huge bursts of solar wind towards Earth. These bursts can arrive in a matter of hours or days and cause severe space weather effects understanding how and where the solar wind originates. These events and prepare for them it will also help us protect our technology and infrastructure from potential damage.

    But there's more to it than that studying the sun also helps us learn about other stars in the universe. The sun is our closest star and our best laboratory to test our theories and models of stellar physics by touching the Sun. We can touch other stars as well and who knows what else we might discover along the way. The sun is full of surprises and secrets that we have yet to uncover. The Parker solar probe is opening new windows into our star and its mysteries. It is still has more orbits to complete each to bringing it closer and closer to its final destination about 3.8 million miles or 6 million kilometers from the sun's surface by 2025. That's when the Parker solar probe will truly touch the sun like never before.

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

May 30, 2023

What is Solar Storm?

 

             Auroras may look stunning from here on Earth, but the geomagnetic storms that cause them could also pose a potential threat to our planet. Here's why. What is a solar storm? It all starts 93 million miles away with a tremendous burst of energy from the sun. These explosions can be categorized into two events: CMEs or Solar flares. A CME or coronal mass ejection is a giant cloud of particles hurled into space. This phenomenon will typically take between one to five days to reach the Earth. A solar flare is a giant burst of x-rays and energy, which takes about eight minutes to make it to our planet. These space weather events only impact Earth when the explosion occurs on the side of the sun that is facing our planet. The explosions produce a gust of solar wind, which hurdles through space, temporarily disrupting the outer part of Earth's magnetic field. This causes a geomagnetic storm, also referred to as a solar storm. Particles flowing from the sun get caught up in the Earth's magnetic field creating a colourful Aurora, otherwise known as the northern or southern lights. 

           How does a solar storm work? The particles interact with molecules of atmospheric gases, causing glowing red and green colours in the sky. Usually only seen in the far northern and southern regions like Iceland or New Zealand. A solar storm can wreak havoc on earth, but not in the way you think. While the atmosphere protects us from these harmful rays, a large storm can interfere with radio communication, GPS systems and satellites, can corrode oil and gas pipelines and even cause power blackouts. 

                          How does a solar storm affect us? While scientists have observed thousands of solar flares over the years, none have matched the intensity of the 1859 Carrington Event. The largest geomagnetic storm in recorded history, it crippled telegraphs around the world as sparks flew from equipment, shocking their human operators and even starting fires. How much does a solar storm cost? The solar storm created an aurora so bright that people in the north-eastern U.S. reportedly used the storm's glow to read the newspaper at night. In the 21st century, this event would've had a much more severe impact on today's technology-dependent society. Scientists estimate that a solar storm of that magnitude today has the potential to cost nearly $2 trillion, affect up to 40 million people, and cause blackouts lasting between 16 days to two years. Solar activity, like sun flares and CMEs, fluctuates in 11-year cycles, and right now, it's on the rise. Scientists predict this stormy activity will reach its peak in 2025.

 


Sunday, May 14, 2023

May 14, 2023

What is James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)?

 


 In the beginning our universe was very hot and dense as the universe cooled down the electrons interacted with the nuclei forming the first atoms. A few hundred million years later the first start and eventually galaxies appeared. But how did they form? This thing will help us understand a 10 billion dollar time machine which has been in development for over 20 years imagine that you are 65 million light years away from Earth somewhere in the Virgo cluster and you have a very powerful telescope. Which you can use to study the Earth taking a look through the telescope you would be able to see what dinosaurs look like on our planet of course we will face many obstacles along the way. But we are talking about an incredibly powerful telescope right the James Webb Space Telescope is exactly that it is 100 times more powerful than the Hubble telescope. The comparison of the sizes of their primary mirrors and yet James Webb's mirror is 113 kilograms 249 pounds lighter the telescope works in the infrared Spectrum the infrared radiation can penetrate the dust cloud and allow us to see the stars forming within additionally. Einstein's theory of relativity states that the space between objects in our universe expands and so does light as the light from the first stars and galaxies travels in our direction its waves lengthen and the light becomes infrared also known as red-shift.

                  Every time you look up at the night sky just know that there are many stars and galaxies the light of which stretched and became invisible or too faint for us. To see so here's a question how is the James Webb Space Telescope supposed to detect that light it will be assisted by a huge mirror which will increase the amount of collected light the more light the more detailed the image the mirror is made with 18 hexagonal segments each one 1.32 meters 4.3 feet in diameter. This shape will enable the crew to fold the mirror on Earth and unfold it in space then the focus of the mirror will be calibrated by Shifting the various segments with an accuracy of one to ten thousand one ten thousandth of the thickness of a human hair the light is collected onto the secondary mirror then it is reflected and sent to the scientific tools. After it is filtered it is then focused on the hypersensitive infrared detectors at which point the photons are converted into electrical voltage. The actual Tools telescope is equipped with four tools nercam is the telescope's primary imager in the near infrared range 10 sensitive detectors allow it to detect the light of the first stars and galaxies. In addition nercam is equipped with chronographs and what are they imagine that you're blocking the sun with your hand by blocking the bright light you can see the road ahead of you a coronagraph follows a similar principle Coronagraph. This function will allow our researchers to see more faintly lit starts galaxies and even take photos of exo-planet but near cam cannot show us everything. We need to know about the physical properties of the planet is there water, air impossible to say therefore another tool called near spec will be working with the same range by studying the spectrum of light emitted by an object. We can tell its mass temperature and chemical composition the atoms and molecules of an object leave their mark on the Spectrum in the form of black lines. But to analyze the Superpower faintest light the telescope has to stare at the object for over a hundred hours which is ages. But surely the scientists did not spend 10 years working in vain to avoid wasting the telescope resources on a single object the near spec is equipped with a superpower to provide spectroscopes of hundreds of objects at once which was achieved by developing a new technology called micro shutter system. This system is made of 250 000 shutters that open and close Micro shutter system if you ever observed the night sky in a town or city and compared it to what you can see at night in the countryside. You could probably tell the difference it happens due to the high volume of light in the city therefore the micro shutter system will block the irrelevant light allowing us to see the most faintly lit object. The light is then dispersed into the Spectrum and sent to the detectors how much light is there in outer space. A huge amount in order to capture only the relevant light the telescope has to be constantly directed at different targets. This will be possible with the help of the fine guidance sensor fgs.

               Additionally scientists from the Canadian space agency developed the near infrared imager and stilt the spectrograph which also takes pictures and captures spectroscopies in near infrared light Miri. But how do we deal with thick dust clouds that obstruct the view near infrared light might not be able to penetrate them and that's where the last tool comes in Miri. It is also equipped with a camera and a spectrograph but it works in a different range of infrared light one with longer waves which can penetrate the thick dust cloud its sensitive detectors will allow us to observe the red-shifted light of distant galaxies newly forming stars and comet. The issue with Miri is that unless this tool is cooled to 6.7 Kelvin or negative 266.5 Celsius it starts capturing its own heat so scientists developed an additional cooling system called cryo cooler in essence it's a sophisticated refrigerator in which helium will travel along pipes cooling Miri to the right temperature as a result Sun Shield. But now we have a different problem the Sun the Moon and Earth radiating heat and as a solution for this problem the engineers developed an incredible passive cooling system for the telescope the sun shield the size of this Shield is 21 meters long and 14 meters Across. The Shield is made up of five layers with space in between each layer of material so they can cool efficiently each layer is made from a special film that can withstand very high temperatures. This material is called captain in addition each layer is coated in aluminium and the first two have an additional coat of doped silicone in order to be able to withstand even higher temperatures for the sun shield. To be able to hide the telescope from the Sun the Moon and Earth simultaneously the JWST has to be 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth as a reference a Hubble Space Telescope was only 547 kilometers. The James Webb Space Telescope will travel to a special location known as laraji point 2. It is one of the five places in the solar system where gravitational forces allow the objects to remain in a fixed position relative to Earth. The next remember how we talked about a folding mirror similarly the sun shield and many other components will be foldable. This way the scientists can fold the telescope and pack it into the rocket Ariane 5 which is the most reliable rocket capable of delivering the telescope into space. Now let's talk about the most exciting thing the possibilities of the James Webb Space Telescope we already mentioned its ability to capture faint infrared light emitted by the first stars and galaxies.

               So what's next well for example you could spot the heat signature of a bumblebee at a distance of the Moon with the JWST but why should you care about a bumblebee did you know that Saturn is not the only planet with rings Uranus Neptune and Jupiter have them too it's just that in the visible spectrum their rings are dark and indistinct. Using the transit method in the infrared range the telescope will be able to help us understand how the rings around these four planets formed well. What about a detailed analysis of an exo-planet atmosphere the researchers are interested in the planet located in the habitable zone which means they might contain water. By using the telescope we can learn the chemical composition of those planets atmospheres scientists MACHIO KAKU thinks that the chances of encountering an alien civilization are quite strong. The telescope will be able to tell us more about the birth of galaxies stars and planets. It may completely change science as we know. It is the universe keeps many Secrets but the James Webb Space Telescope should help us uncover these Mysteries and in the meantime we will continue.

 

Sunday, April 23, 2023

April 23, 2023

What is the reason? Can a Child be born in space?

 


Currently, there has been no known instance of a child being born in space, as there have been very few long-duration space missions that would have made such a birth possible. However, it is theoretically possible for a child to be born in space, and this topic has been the subject of some scientific and medical research. One of the main challenges of childbirth in space would be the effects of micro-gravity on the mother and the developing fetus. Micro-gravity can affect blood flow, fluid distribution, and bone density, among other physiological processes, and it is not yet clear how these factors would impact the health and safety of the mother and child. There are also a number of logistical and ethical considerations that would need to be addressed before childbirth in space could become a reality, such as the need for specialized medical equipment and training, and the potential risks to the health and safety of the mother and child.


As I mentioned earlier, there are several challenges and risks associated with the possibility of a child being born in space. Some additional factors that would need to be considered include;-


1.      Radiation exposure: Space is full of high-energy radiation that can be harmful to human health. The effects of prolonged exposure to radiation on a developing fetus are not well understood, and it is possible that such exposure could increase the risk of genetic mutations and other health problems.


2.      Psychological factors: The isolation and confinement of space travel can be stressful and mentally taxing for adults, and it is unclear how these factors would impact the mental health of a pregnant woman and her child


3.      Legal and ethical issues: The legal and ethical implications of childbirth in space are complex and would need to be carefully considered. For example, it is unclear which country's laws would apply to a child born in space, or what the rights and responsibilities of the parents and the space agencies involved would be.


4.      Medical emergencies: In the event of a medical emergency during childbirth in space, it would be difficult or impossible to evacuate the mother and child to a hospital on Earth, which could potentially have serious consequences


In summary, while it is possible for a child to be born in space, the risks and challenges associated with such a birth are not yet well understood, and there are currently no plans or protocols in place for facilitating such an event