Current Affairs Quiz-December, 2019

Notes:
The Cheops Space Mission is an upcoming project of the European Space Agency. It stands for Characterising Exoplanets Satellite and is intended to look for habitable exoplanets. The mission is to span 3 years and was recently delayed in light of a malfunction by its Soyuz rocket.

Notes:
The INDRA 2019 is a tri-service defence exercise between India and Russia. The exercise involves the army, navy and the air force of both the countries. The second edition of the exercise concluded recently in Pune, Goa and Babina. The exercise focuses on counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency.

Notes:
The International Astronomical Union had recently named the extra- solar planet, HD 081b, as Santamasa. The exoplanet is in the constellation Sextans. Its name is derived from Sanskrit word ‘santamasa’ which means clouded, in reference to its clouded atmosphere. It is a Jupiter like planet.

Notes:
The HAT-P-36b is an exoplanet which in the stellar system of HAT-P-36, which was renamed as Tuiren by the International Astronomical Union. The exoplanet is in the constellation Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dog constellation). The name is based on Irish mythology and was suggested by Ireland.

Notes:
The International Astronomical Union recently named the star Wadirum based on the name suggestions given by Jordan. It is in the constellation of Aquila (the Eagle constellation). One of its planets was also named – Petra. The host star and the exoplanet were previously known as WASP-80 and WASP-80b respectively.

Notes:
The operation ‘Joint Dolphin’s Nose’ was launched by the Andhra Pradesh intelligence unit in collaboration with the naval intelligence and the CIA. Several persons including a hawala operators and navy personnel were arrested under this operation for having espionage links with Pakistan.

Notes:
The Israeli defence electronics firm Elbit System launched the nanosatellite, Nanova, recently from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in South India. It is going to be a part of a nanosatellite constellation used for commercial purposes. This satellite is operated from ground control station in Haifa, Israel.

Notes:
Gabon is a country adjacent to the Gulf of Guinea. It is located on the west coast of the African continent. The gulf is noted for its frequent piracy events. In December, 4 ships were attacked by pirates in Libreville, capital of Gabon.

Notes:
The National Farmers Day or Kisan Diwas is celebrated on 23^rd of December in honor of ex-Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh. He was the 5^th PM of India. He is noted for his championship of peasants’ causes and his memorial is known as ‘Kisan Ghat’.

Notes:
Horn of Africa is a peninsula in Africa that extends hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea. It lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. The countries that exist in this region are Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.