Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter Detects Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) Impact on Lunar Exosphere
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Science and Technology (Space Missions - Chandrayaan-2, ISRO achievements, GSLV-MkIII); General Science (Physics - Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), Space Weather, Lunar Exosphere).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 3 (S&T): "Awareness in the fields of Space"; "Achievements of Indians in science & technology". The finding is a significant achievement for ISRO.
General Studies Paper 3 (S&T): Can also be linked to "Space Weather" and its implications for future human exploration of the Moon (e.g., lunar bases).
Key Highlights from the News
India's Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, for the first time, directly observed the impact of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun on the Moon.
The crucial discovery was made by the orbiter's payload, Chandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 (CHACE-2).
It was found that when the CME hit the Moon, the total pressure and number density in the Moon's very thin atmosphere, the lunar exosphere, increased by more than ten times.
This pressure increase is caused by solar particles from the CME hitting the Moon's surface and knocking off the atoms into the atmosphere.
This finding will help in understanding the space weather on the Moon and studying the challenges that might arise when constructing future lunar base human habitats.
This is a strong proof that the Chandrayaan-2 mission's orbiter is still successfully operating, despite the failure of its Vikram lander.
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