Moon, Pluto - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: Charon

Explanation:
Pluto’s largest moon Charon is home to an unusual canyon system far deeper and longer than the Grand Canyon on earth according to a new image taken over by NASA New Horizon Probe.

• The deep canyon is named Argo Chasma
• It is around 700 km long while Arizona’s Grand Canyon is 450 km long
• Scientists estimate Argo Chasma to be 9 km deep more than 5 times the depth of earth’s Grand Canyon
• There are locations along the canyon’s length where sheer cliffs reach many miles high and the Verona Rupes on Miranda, a Uranus moon.
• The latter moon is known for the title of the tallest known cliff face in the solar system
• Image was taken by New Horizon LORRI or Long Range Reconnaissance Imager at 2.33 km per pixel.
• This has take a range of 466,000 km from Charon which is 5 hours 22 minutes after the New Horizons closest approach to Charon on July 14 in the previous year
• Charon which is Pluto’s largest moon once had a sub surface ocean long since frozen
• The moon is characterised by pull apart tectonic faults which result in valleys, scarps and ridges

ANSWER: Chang’e 5

Explanation:
China will send lunar probe to Chang’e 5 to land on the moon and return with samples in the second half of 2017 according to officials

• SASTIND or State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence has said this is the first time a Chinese probe will land on the moon, collect samples and return to earth
• This marks the third stage of the lunar exploration endeavour by China
• Beijing also aims to be the first to launch a probe on the far side of the moon
• China will also unveil new generation of Long March 5 and 7 in 2016, along with other new satellites and space labs.

ANSWER: 2

Explanation:
Team of scientists have discovered two geologically young craters- one 16 million years old and the other between 75-420 million years in the darkest regions of the moon.

• Young impact craters are located in the darkest regions of the moon
• These craters are an exciting discovery according to senior research scientist D Kathleen Mandt from Southwest Research Institute in Texas
• Finding geologically young craters and hone in on their age to understand the collision history in the solar system
• Collision in space has played an important role in the formation of the solar system including the formation of the Moon.
• Impact craters tell the history of collisions between objects in the solar system
• As the moon is peppered with impacts, the surface serves as a record of the past

ANSWER: 1-1.5 bilion

Explanation:
Scientists have found the inner core of the earth was formed 1-1.5 billion years back as it froze from the molten iron outer core. The inner core is Earth’s deepest layer and it is a ball of solid iron larger than Pluto surrounded by liquid outer core. Inner core is a recent addition to the planet and it was formed according to scientists who have debated its period of formation as ranging from 0.5 to 2 billion years. Researchers conducted an analysis of records from ancient igneous rocks and found sharp increase in magnetic field of the planet between 1 to 1.5 billion years ago. Increased magnetic field is a possible indication of the first occurrence of solid iron at the centre of the earth. The research also suggests average growth rate of the solid inner core is one mm per year. Earth’s magnetic field is generated by motion of liquid iron alloy in the outer core around 3000 km beneath the crust of the earth.

ANSWER: Asteroids acting as delivery vehicles

Explanation:
Researchers from Russia have discovered that water reserves on moon are the result of asteroids functioning as delivery vehicles and not falling ice comets as study using computer simulation has found. Scientists have made the discovery that a massive asteroid can deliver greater amounts of water to the lunar surface than cumulative fall of comets over a billion year period. The simulation has also shown that when short period comets fall, most of the water evaporates and less than 1 percent of it remains in impact point. Fall of asteroids containing water can generate deposits of chemically bounded water located within lunar craters.