Sign In
Learn bits
Science & Tech.
Mahesh

13/10/22 07:14 AM IST

Kuafu-1: China’s first space-based solar telescope

In News 
  • The Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S) – China’s first space-based solar telescope – was launched recently.
Features of the satellite 
  • The Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S) was launched aboard the Long March-2D carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern part of China.
  • It is nicknamed Kuafu-1, after a mythical giant that sought to capture and tame the sun.
  • The solar mission, which is expected to last for 4 years, will enable scientists to capture and study the previously unprecedented images of the Sun during the “solar maximum” (when sun has the highest number of sun spots). The solar maximum is expected to occur around the year 2025.
  • The ASO-S is China’s first full-scale satellite dedicated to researching the Sun. It is the world’s first solar telescope capable of simultaneously monitoring both solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
  • It will study the Sun from an orbit 720 km above the surface of the Earth.
  • The mission is capable of simultaneous observation of the entire Sun’s vector magnetic field, imaging spectroscopy at high energies of solar flares, and studying the formation and evolution of solar flares and coronal mass ejections on the disk and in the inner corona.
  • This will improve the understanding of the physics of solar eruptions and further the forecasting capability of solar weather.
  • The solar satellite will send 500 GB data concerning the Sun’s magnetic field, solar flares and coronal mass ejections each day to ground stations in Sanya, Kashgar and Beijing.
  • This mission is similar to NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and ESA’s Solar Orbiter.
  • India is planning to launch a similar solar mission in 2023 called Aditya-L1 to research the solar atmosphere.
Source- Indian Express 

More Related Current Affairs View All

14 Aug

ABC of Sterilisation

'The Supreme Court has directed Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad authorities to urgently round up and shift stray dogs to shelters, stressing the need to protect children from

Read More

14 Aug

Post and pre-matric scholarships

'The  Union government is considering revising the parental income limit for eligibility in availing post and pre-matric scholarships administered to students from marginalise

Read More

13 Aug

Working of satellite internet

'Satellite internet is revolutionizing how we connect, extending high-speed access to virtually every corner of the globe, regardless of location.' Imagine getting online from t

Read More

India’s First Ai-Driven Magazine Generator

Generate Your Custom Current Affairs Magazine using our AI in just 3 steps