Space Science Current Affairs, GK & News

Study on Titan’s Energy Budget

A recent study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters drew parallels between the energy budgets of Earth and the Saturnian moon Titan. Energy budget is the differences between the quantum of solar energy received and emitted by a planetary system or satellite system. Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. It is also the ..

Topics: Astronomical objects • Atmosphere • Colonization of Titan • Outer planets • Outer space • Planetary science • Saturn • Space Science • Sun • Titan

Parker Solar Probes sends back first observations

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has sent back its first observations to the earth for scientists to decode the mysteries about the sun. The spacecraft was launched in August of 2018. It has completed 3 of the 24 planned passes by the sun’s unexplored regions. No other spacecraft has flown as close as the Parker probe ..

Topics: Astronomy • Corona • Light sources • Parker Solar Probe • Physical sciences • Plasma physics • Solar phenomena • Solar wind • Space plasmas • Space Science • Sun • Wind

2019 Nobel prize in physics awarded

The Nobel Prize 2019 for Physics has jointly been awarded to three scientists – James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz – groundbreaking discoveries about the evolution of the universe and the Earth’s place in the cosmos. One half of the award was given to James Peebles for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology and the ..

Topics: Astronomy • Contents • Cosmology • Cosmos: A Personal Voyage • Didier Queloz • Exoplanet • Michel Mayor • Nobel Prize • Peebles • Planet • Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences • Space Science

Pandit Jasraj becomes first Indian musician to have minor planet named after him

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has named an asteroid after Indian classical singer Pandit Jasraj. With this, Pandit Jasraj has become the first Indian maestro to have a planet named after him. The asteroid, which is located between Mars and Jupiter, was discovered by Mt. Lemmon Survey  at Mount Lemmon in Arizona  (United States) in ..

Topics: Asteroid • Astronomy • Jasraj • Mewati gharana • Mount Lemmon • Mount Lemmon Survey • Musicians • Pandit Jasraj Institute for Music, Research, Artistry and Appreciation • Pandit Jasraj Institute of Music Toronto • Planet • Rajasthani people • Space Science

NASA discovers first nearby super-earth planet GJ357d

The NASA scientists have characterized the first potentially habitable world outside our own solar system that may be suitable for life. The super-earth planet — named GJ 357 d — was spotted by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. It is estimated that planet is about six times the size of our planet and ..

Topics: Astronomy • Circumstellar habitable zone • Exoplanetology • Exoplanets • GJ 357 d • Observational astronomy • Planet • Planetary science • Search for extraterrestrial intelligence • Space Science • Super-Earth • Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

Dipankar Banerjee selected as Co-Investigator for NASA’s PUNCH mission

NASA has selected Texas-based Southwest Research Institute to lead its PUNCH mission which will image the Sun. This is a landmark mission that will image regions beyond the Sun’s outer corona. Prof. Dipankar Banerjee, solar physicist from Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) is also a Co-Investigator of the PUNCH mission. The acronym ‘PUNCH’ stands for ..

Topics: Aditya-L1 • Astronomy • Astrophysics • Corona • Light sources • Plasma physics • Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere • Punch • Solar phenomena • Solar physics • Space plasmas • Space Science