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Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander is set to undergo a crucial deboosting manoeuvre on Friday after successfully getting separated from the propulsion module a day before. The deboosting manoeuvre is scheduled today at around 1600 IST. Deboosting is the process of slowing down to position itself in an orbit where the orbit’s closest point to the Moon (Perilune) is 30 km and the farthest point (the Apolune) is 100 km.

“The next Lander Module (Deorbit 1) manoeuvre is scheduled for tomorrow (August 18, 2023) around 1600 hrs IST,” ISRO posted on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday while announcing the successful separation of the lander from the propulsion module.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission’s lander is named after Vikram Sarabhai (1919–1971), who is widely regarded as the father of the Indian space programme. On Wednesday, the spacecraft carried out the final lunar-bound orbit reduction manoeuvre of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, a week ahead of its scheduled landing on the south pole of the moon on August 23.

A GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle was used for the launch of the spacecraft that was placed in the lunar orbit on August 5 and since then it has been through a series of orbital manoeuvres.

It has been a month and three days since the Indian Space Research Organisation launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission on July 14. The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota. ISRO is bidding to make a successful soft landing on the moon, which will make India the fourth country in the world to achieve the feat after the United States, Russia, and China.

The stated objectives of Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar mission, are safe and soft landing, rover roving on the moon’s surface, and in-situ scientific experiments.

The approved cost of Chandrayaan-3 is Rs. 250 crores (excluding launch vehicle cost).
Chandrayaan-3’s development phase commenced in January 2020 with the launch planned sometime in 2021. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought an unforeseen delay to the mission’s progress.

Chandrayaan-3 is the ISRO’s follow-up attempt after the Chandrayaan-2 mission faced challenges during its soft landing on the lunar surface in 2019 and was eventually deemed to have failed its core mission objectives.
The key scientific outcomes from Chandrayaan-2 include the first-ever global map for lunar sodium, enhancing knowledge on crater size distribution, unambiguous detection of lunar surface water ice with IIRS instrument and more.

During the Chandrayaan-1 mission, the satellite made more than 3,400 orbits around the moon and the mission was concluded when the communication with the spacecraft was lost on August 29, 2009, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), S Somanath last week expressed confidence in the progress of the Chandrayaan 3, providing reassurance that all systems were operating as planned. Chairman S Somanath stated, “Everything is going fine now. There will be a series of manoeuvres until it lands (on the Moon) on 23rd August. The satellite is healthy.”

Moon serves as a repository of the Earth’s past and a successful lunar mission by India will help enhance life on Earth while also enabling it to explore the rest of the solar system and beyond.

Historically, spacecraft missions to the Moon have primarily targeted the equatorial region due to its favourable terrain and operating conditions. However, the lunar south pole presents a vastly different and more challenging terrain compared to the equatorial region. 

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Catch the Beaver Moon on Nov 15, 2024 – the year’s last supermoon!

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November 14, 2024

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Catch the Beaver Moon on Nov 15, 2024 - the year's last supermoon!

The final supermoon of 2024, known as the Beaver Moon, will make its appearance on Friday, November 15. This full moon, which will reach its peak illumination at 4:29 PM EST, is anticipated by lunar enthusiasts as it marks the last supermoon event of the year. Visible as dawn approaches in Jakarta, this celestial event follows October’s Hunter’s Moon and concludes a sequence of four consecutive supermoons observed throughout 2024, according to NASA.

What is the Beaver Moon?

November’s full moon is traditionally called the Beaver Moon, a term that originates from Native American customs and was popularised by the Maine Farmer’s Almanac. This name is linked to the seasonal timing when beavers prepare their dens for winter or were historically hunted to ensure a supply of warm furs. In various regions, November’s full moon is also known as the Frost Moon or Snow Moon, reflecting the colder weather patterns typically seen in North America during this time.

When to See the Beaver Moon

The Beaver Moon will appear full to viewers for three days, from the early hours of 14 November to just before sunrise on November 17. This gives stargazers multiple opportunities to catch a glimpse of the bright, enlarged moon, which will be slightly closer to Earth than usual, enhancing its size and brightness compared to typical full moons. This phenomenon occurs when the moon reaches its closest orbital point, known as perigee, during a full phase, resulting in what is known as a supermoon.

Other Astronomical Highlights This Month

Apart from the Beaver Moon, November brings other notable astronomical events. On 16 November, Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation, making it ideal for evening observation. Additionally, the Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak from November 17 to 18, providing another highlight for skywatchers. Uranus will also be visible, reaching its closest point to Earth on November 17, according to Seasky.org, giving viewers a brighter and more accessible sighting.

For those interested in astronomy, November 15 offers a special chance to observe this year’s last supermoon before the seasonal Cold Moon arrives in December.

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Scientists Discover New Electric Field in Earth’s Atmosphere

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November 14, 2024

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Scientists Discover New Electric Field in Earth’s Atmosphere

A faint electric field has been detected in Earth’s atmosphere, confirming a theory that scientists have held for decades. This ambipolar electric field, though weak at just 0.55 volts, could play a vital role in shaping Earth’s atmospheric evolution and its ability to support life, according to recent findings. Glyn Collinson, an atmospheric scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, led the Endurance rocket mission, which successfully measured this field in May 2022 above Svalbard, Norway. Collinson has described this field as a “planetary-energy field” that had eluded scientific measurement until now.

How the Ambipolar Field Affects Earth’s Atmosphere

The presence of this field is thought to explain a phenomenon observed decades ago—the polar wind. When sunlight strikes atoms in the upper atmosphere, it can cause negatively charged electrons to break free and drift into space, while the heavier, positively charged oxygen ions remain. To maintain an electrically neutral atmosphere, a faint electric field forms, tying these particles together and preventing electrons from escaping. This weak field has been shown to provide energy to lighter ions, such as hydrogen, enabling them to break free from Earth’s gravity and contribute to the polar wind.

This ambipolar electric field could have implications for planetary habitability. David Brain, a planetary scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder, noted that understanding how such fields vary across planets could shed light on why Earth has remained habitable compared to planets like Mars and Venus. Although both Mars and Venus have electric fields, the absence of a global magnetic field on those planets allowed more of their atmospheres to escape into space, potentially altering their climates significantly.

Further Research Planned

NASA has recently approved a follow-up mission with a rocket named Resolute, expected to launch soon. Collinson believes that continued investigation into planetary electric fields may help answer fundamental questions about why Earth supports life while other planets do not.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


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Amber Found in Antarctica for the First Time

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November 14, 2024

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Amber Found in Antarctica for the First Time

The discovery of amber in Antarctica has been reported for the first time, as detailed in a recent study published in Antarctic Science. Dr. Johann Klages from the University of Bremen, alongside a team of researchers, uncovered this specimen in sediment cores from the Pine Island trough in West Antarctica. This ancient amber, originating from approximately 83 to 92 million years ago during the mid-Cretaceous period, offers valuable insights into prehistoric environmental conditions near the South Pole.

Unveiling the First Antarctic Amber

The study was published in Antarctic Science journal and reveals that the amber, known as Pine Island amber, was retrieved using the MARUM-MeBo70 drill rig during a 2017 expedition on the RV Polarstern vessel. This mid-Cretaceous resin is considered a significant breakthrough as it suggests that a swampy temperate rainforest, dominated by coniferous trees, thrived in the region during a much warmer period in Earth’s history. According to Dr. Henny Gerschel from the Saxon State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology, the amber likely contains tiny fragments of tree bark, preserved through micro-inclusions. Its solid, translucent quality indicates that it was buried close to the surface, protecting it from thermal degradation.

Insights into Prehistoric Forest Ecosystems

The presence of pathological resin flow within the amber offers clues into the defence mechanisms used by ancient trees against environmental stressors like parasites or wildfires. “This discovery hints at a much richer forest ecosystem near the South Pole during the mid-Cretaceous,” Dr. Klages explained, noting the resin’s defensive chemical and physical properties that protected it from insect attacks and infections.

Reconstructing Ancient Antarctic Environments

The amber’s discovery marks a key step in reconstructing ancient polar climates, supporting the idea that temperate forests once spanned across all continents. Researchers aim to explore further by analysing whether signs of past life are preserved in the amber. This study, beyond unearthing Antarctic amber, opens new opportunities to deepen understanding of Earth’s climatic past and the adaptability of prehistoric ecosystems.

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