officersSCI&TECH PDF

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY
(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
What is expected by UPSC?

Basics & Conceptual clarity
Physics
Chemistry
Bio
Space
Defense
Technology Bio, Nano, nuclear, Information
Current affairs- discovery/Invention
What, Why and How.
Holistic understanding Environment, health, geography etc.
a well educated person will be able to answer without any specialised study.....basic understanding of
all relevant issues and ability to analyse
General science questions
Basics TIR, Rainbows, mirage, boiling points (air pressure low at altitudes) etc.
Everyday whys & hows -twinkling stars, goosebumps, mirage.
Recent issues IRNSS, MOM, LIGO etc.
Prelims 2016
In the context of the developments in Bioinformatics, the term 'transcriptome, sometimes seen in the
news, refers to
(a) a range of enzymes used in genome editing
(b) the full range of mRNA molecules expressed by an organism
(c) the description of the mechanism of gene expression
(d) a mechanism of genetic mutations taking place in cells
Answer: (b) : the full range of mRNA molecules expressed by an organism
'Project Loon', sometimes seen in the news, is related to
(a) waste management technology
(b) wireless communication technology
(c) solar power production technology
(d) water conservation technology
Answer: (b) wireless communication
technology
'Net metering' is sometimes seen in the news
in the context of promoting the
(a) production and use of solar energy by
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the households/consumers
(b) use of piped natural gas in the kitchens
of households
(c) installation of CNG kits in motorcars
(d) installation of water meters in urban Households
Answer: (a)
Which one of the following is the best
description of 'INS Astradharini', that was in
the news recently?
(a) Amphibious warfare ship
(b) Nuclear-powered submarine
(c) Torpedo launch and recovery vessel
(d) Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
Ans C)
What is 'Greased Lightning-10 (GL-10)',
recently in the news?
(a) Electric plane tested by NASA
(b) Solar-powered two-seater aircraft
designed by Japan
(c) Space observatory launched by China
(d) Reusable rocket designed by ISRO
Answer (a)
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
Viruses can infect
1. bacteria
2. fungi
3. Plants
Select the correct answer using the code given
below.
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer (d) 1, 2 and 3
In which of the following can you find the Bureau of Energy Efficiency Star Label?
1. Ceiling fans
2. Electric geysers
3. Tubular fluorescent lamps
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below.
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer (d) 1, 2 and 3
India is an important member of the International thermonuclear Experimental Reactor'. If this
experiment succeeds, what is the immediate advantage for India?
(a) It can use thorium in place of uranium for power generation
(b) It can attain a global role in satellite navigation
(c) It can drastically improve the efficiency of its fission reactors in power generation
(d) It can build fusion reactors for power generation
Answer (d)
Regarding 'DigiLocker', sometimes seen in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is a digital locker system offered by the Government under Digital India Programme.
2. It allows you to access your edocuments irrespective of your physical location.
below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
With reference to 'Astrosat', the astronomical observatory launched by India, which of the following
statements is/are correct?
1. Other than USA and Russia, India is the only country to have launched a similar observatory into
space.
2. Astrosat is a 2000 kg satellite placed in an orbit at 1650 km above the surface of the Earth.
below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (d)
Consider the following statements :
The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO
1. is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission
2. made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit the Mars after USA
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3. made India the only country to be successful in making its spacecraft orbit the Mars in its very first
attempt
Which of the statements given above is/are
correct?
(a) l only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
A recent movie titled The Man Who Knew
Infinity is based on the biography of
(a) S. Ramanujan
(b) S. Chandrasekhar
(c) S. N. Bose
(d) C. V. Raman
Answer: (a) S. Ramanujan
With reference to 'LiFi', recently in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It uses light as the medium for highspeed data transmission.
2. It is a wireless technology and is several times faster than WiFi'.
below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: c)
Basics of space science
Kepler's First law (Law of orbits)
Each planet moves around the sun in an elliptical orbit with the sun at one of its foci.
Second law (Law of areas)
As the planet moves in its orbit, a line drawn from the sun to the planet sweeps out equal areas in equal
intervals of time.
Hence the speed of the planet around sun must be maximum at the perihelion position and minimum at
the aphelion position.
Third law (Law of periods)..PURE PHYSICS
The squares of the periods of revolution of the planets are proportional to the cubes of their mean
distances from the sun.
Simply put : farther the planet, more will be the time taken to complete one revolution.
Artificial Satellite Basics
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Selection of tangential speed is very much important in case of launch artificial satellite launches.
They are projected with such a speed that the "radius" of their curved path is "greater" than the radius
of earth.
However, not such a high speed that the satellite leaves the orbit and gets lost in space.
The speed of an artificial satellite does NOT depend upon its mass. This implies that at a particular
distance from earth, all objects would move at same speed of revolution.
Higher the orbit is, lower is its speed, so when a satellite moved from higher orbit to lower orbit, its
speed increases.(When we whirl a small string with an small object tied at one of its and also allow to
get it rolled around our finger, we find that the smaller the radius of the circle is, higher is its speed.)
If we throw the satellite of a speed lesser than 7.9 km/sec, it will simply fall on earth.
The speed higher than this will produce an elliptical orbit. However if this speed is more than 11.2
km/sec, it will escape the earth's gravitation field and will never
come back. (escape velocity)
5. Equator or the places near to equator are found suitable for launching the satellites as it will save
efforts.
6. Satellites are launched in Eastward direction, it also saves efforts
When we throw a stone with some speed in the horizontal direction, it will follow a curved path and fall
on the ground. When we throw the stone with a greater speed, it will follow a curved path that is even
bigger than the previous one. Thus, greater is the speed, greater is the radius of the curved path as
shown below:
Now, if we have such a powerful device to throw this stone with such a tremendous speed that radius of
the curved path it follows becomes little bigger than the radius of earth, we cannot expect it to return to
earth. Rather, it will keep on revolving around the earth. This is how the artificial satellites work.
They are projected with such a speed that the "radius" of their curved path is "greater" than the radius
of earth.
Gravitational pull of earth would provide the necessary centripetal force that is needed to keep it in its
particular orbit. Here, we should note that speed of the satellite is carefully chosen so that it provides
necessary force to keep it
revolving.
Launching a satellite on Equator versus Poles
Earth is not round and we all know that its radius on poles is smaller than its radius on equators.
The away we move from centre of earth, lower is the gravitational force and this is the reason that the
gravitational pull is minimum at Equator.
So, Equator or the places near to equator are found suitable for launching the satellites as it will save
efforts.
Famous launching sites
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)
VSSC had a small beginning at Thumba, a coastal village at Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of
Kerala on the south west coast of India, in 1962.
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1.
2.
3.

VSSC pioneers in rocket research and launch vehicle projects of ISRO mainly with the use of sounding
rockets.
It carries out research and studies in atmospheric science and other related space science activities
Sounding Rockets
Sounding rockets are one or two stage solid propellant rockets used for probing the upper atmospheric
regions and for space research.
Sounding rockets are advantageous for some research because of their low cost, short lead time
(sometimes less than six months) and their ability to conduct research in areas inaccessible to either
balloons or satellites.
They are also used as test beds for equipment that will be used in more expensive and risky orbital
spaceflight missions. The smaller size of a sounding rocket also makes launching from temporary sites
possible allowing for field studies at remote locations, even in the middle of the ocean, if fired from a
ship.[
Launching a satellite in eastward versus westward direction
Location
Eastward direction extra push.
Risk of an accident.
Nearness to Equator.
Climate
Accessibility
Why French Guina?
Kourou (where Ariane Espace is located) is very close to the equator (4 degrees north if my memory
serves me right)
No earthquakes in that region
No hurricanes
No volcanic activity
Easily predictable weather: only two seasons (one dry, one monsoon-ish), a flat landscape (so no fuzzy
wuzzy wind patterns)
Very regular direct flights from Paris
Scores of the best European engineers on-site
Stable government
ORBITS
The core principle of an orbit is that as a satellite or object moved tangentially, it falls toward the earth /
other body, but it moved so quickly that earth / body will curve away beneath it.
Thus we can understand that gravity pulls this object into a curved path as it attempts to fly off in a
straight line.
A satellite has enough tangential velocity to miss the orbited object, and will continue falling
indefinitely.
Geostationary Orbit (GEO)
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If we need a satellite for the purpose which needs this satellites to remain at a particular distance from
earth at all the time, then we need circular orbits so all the points on circular orbit are at equal
distance from earth's surface. The circular equatorial orbit is exactly in the plane of equator on the
earth.
Features of geostationary satellite
The orbit is circular
The orbit is in equatorial plane i.e. directly above the equator and thus
inclination is zero.
The angular velocity of the satellite is equal to angular velocity of earth.
Period of revolution is equal to period of rotation of earth.
Finish one revolution around the earth in exactly one day i.e. 23 hours, 56
minutes and 4.1 seconds
There is ONLY one geostationary orbit.
The height of the geostationary orbit is 36000 kilometers above earth.
In Geostationary Orbit, the satellite moves with an orbital speed of 11068 km per hour.
A minimum of three satellites are needed to cover the entire earth.
Clarke Orbit
Please note that a single geostationary satellite can view approximately one third of the Earth's surface.
If three satellites are placed at the proper longitude, the height of this orbit allows almost the Earth's
entire surface to be covered by the satellites.
It was first of all conceptualized by world famous science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke.
Geosynchronous Orbit
There is a difference between the geostationary and geosynchronous orbits.
We should note that while other orbits may be many, there is ONLY ONE Equatorial orbit, i.e. the orbit
which is directly above the earth's equator.
Sometimes we send a satellite in the space which though has a period of revolution is equal to period of
rotation of earth, but its orbit is neither equatorial nor Circular.
Geosynchronous Orbit
So, this satellite will finish one revolution around the earth in exactly one day i.e. 23 hours, 56 Minutes
and 4.1 seconds, yet it does NOT appear stationary from the earth.
It looks oscillating but NOT stationary and that is why it is called Geosynchronous
Features of a geosynchronous satellite
The orbit is NOT circular
The orbit is NOT in equatorial plane i.e. directly above the equator, it's in
inclined orbit
The angular velocity of the satellite is equal to angular velocity of earth
Period of revolution is equal to period of rotation of earth.
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Finish one revolution around the earth in exactly one day i.e. 23 hours, 56
Minutes and 4.1 seconds
There are many geosynchronous orbits.
Adv. & Disadv. of GEO
By positioning a satellite so that it has infinite dwell time over one spot on the Earth, we can constantly
monitor the weather in one location, provide reliable telecommunications service, and even beam
television signals directly to your house.
If you have satellite TV at home, notice that the small dish antenna outside is pointing at the same
location in the sky at all times. There is a geosynchronous satellite sitting 22,000 miles away in that
direction sending the signal to your house!
The down side of a geosynchronous orbit is that it is more expensive to put something that high up and
not possible to repair it from the shuttle. When a satellite is in LEO, the shuttle can repair it if needed, as
we have done with the Hubble Space Telescope several times. So you only put something in GEO if you
really need to have it in the same location in the sky at all times.
Low Earth Orbits

Most satellites, the International Space Station, the Space Shuttle, and the Hubble Space Telescope are
all in Low Earth Orbit (commonly called "LEO").
It is high enough to miss all the mountains and also high enough that atmospheric drag won't bring it
right back home again.
Advantages and Disadvantages of LEO
Advantage: This is convenient for installing new instruments, fixing things that are broken, and
inspecting damage. It is also about the only way we can have people go up, do experiments, and return
in a relatively short time. Faster signal relaying.
Disadvantages : The first is that there is still some atmospheric drag. Even though the amount of
atmosphere is far too little to breath, there is enough to place a small amount of drag on the satellite or
other object. As a result, over time these objects slow down and their orbits slowly decay.
The second disadvantage has to do with how quickly a satellite in LEO goes around the Earth. As you can
imagine, a satellite traveling 18,000 miles per hour or faster does not spend very long over any one part
of the Earth at a given time.
For instance, a weather satellite wouldn't be very effective for us in India if it didn't have a long dwell
time over us. (Dwell time = the time a satellite sits over one part of the globe.) Also, a communications
satellite wouldn't work very well for us if it spent most of its time over Africa or America.
Highly Elliptical / Inclined Orbits
Kepler's second law: an object in orbit about Earth moves much faster when it is close to Earth than
when it is farther away.
Perigee is the closest point and apogee is the farthest (for Earth - for the Sun we say aphelion and
perihelion). If the orbit is very elliptical, the satellite will spend most of its time near apogee (the
furthest point in its orbit) where it moves very slowly.
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Thus it can be above home base most of the time, taking a break once each orbit to speed around the
other side.
If we want continuous coverage over the entire planet at all times, such as the Department of Defense's
Global Positioning System (GPS), then we must have a constellation of satellites with orbits that are both
different in location and time
Polar Orbits
In a polar orbit, the satellite passes above or nearly above both poles of the earth being orbited on each
revolution. So, we can say that the inclination of such orbit is almost 90 degrees to the equator.
The Polar orbits are used for earth-mapping, earth observation, and reconnaissance satellites, as well as
for some weather satellites.
Why Polar orbits are used for earthmapping?
The Polar orbits are in a plane that is almost perpendicular to the plane of the equator and so passes
over the poles of the Earth and then also, Earth rotates from West to East under the satellite.
For instance, if the period of satellite is 6 hours then in one polar revolution, earth will rotate around 90
westwards. Thus, in a couple of days the whole earth can be mapped.
Sun-synchronous orbit
Sun-synchronous orbit or a heliosynchronous orbit very important because of its particular importance
to satellites intended for remote sensing and military applications.
A sunsynchronous orbit is one that lies in a plane that maintains a fixed angle with respect to the Earthsun direction. In other words, it combines altitude and inclination in such a way that an object on that
orbit ascends or descends over any given point of the Earth's surface at the same local mean solar
time.
Features of Sun Synchronous Orbits
Sun-synchronous orbits operate at 700 to 800 kilometers from Earth and can keep a satellite in either
constant brightness or darkness, depending on the mission.
Satellites used to study the Earths surface maintain constant illumination for imaging devices, while
satellites used to measure radio waves or other phenomena maintain constant darkness.
Sun-synchronous orbits require adjustment to maintain position over a 365-day year, given the orbit is
360 degrees and uses the Earths equatorial bulge to maintain position
Graveyard orbit
A graveyard orbit, also called a junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an orbit that lies significantly away from
common operational orbits, where spacecrafts are intentionally placed at the end of their operational
life.
It refers to the orbits which lie significantly above synchronous orbits. It is a measure performed in order
to lower the probability of collisions with operational spacecraft and of the generation of
additional space debris (known as collision cascading/Kessler syndrome).
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a large spacecraft in orbit around Earth.
It serves as a home where crews of astronauts and cosmonauts live.
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The space station is also a unique science laboratory.
Several nations worked together to build and use the space station.
The space station is made of parts that were assembled in space by astronauts.
The first piece of the International Space Station was launched in November 1998. Construction
completed in 2011.
It includes laboratory modules from the United States, Russia, Japan and Europe.
Importance
Study effects of micro gravity.
Biological & metallurgical expts.
Preparation for farther space missions.
Previous year..
Satellites used for telecommunication relay are kept in a geostationary orbit. A satellite is said to be in
such an orbit when: (2011)
1. The orbit is geosynchronous.
2. The orbit is circular,
3. The orbit lies in the plane of the Earths equator.
4. The orbit is at an altitude of 22,236 km.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a.) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b.) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c.) 2 and 4 only
(d.) 1, 2,3 and 4
Satellites used for telecommunication relay are kept in a geostationary orbit. A satellite is said to be in
such an orbit when: (2011)
1. The orbit is geosynchronous.
2. The orbit is circular,
3. The orbit lies in the plane of the Earths equator.
4. The orbit is at an altitude of 22,236 km.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a.) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b.) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c.) 2 and 4 only
(d.) 1, 2,3 and 4
Indian Space Program
Department of Space
Vision:
Harness space technology for national development, while pursuing space science research and
planetary exploration
What does ISRO do?
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When something is sent to space, it can be Manned (with astronauts) or Unmanned (without
astronauts).
The unmanned missions have two things:
Space programs: India
Carried out by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
Indias Launch Vehicles: PSLV vs GSLV
GSLV MK 3
42.4 meters tall, sports a 5 meter diameter payload and weighs up to 629 tonnes at liftoff.
GSLV Mk 3 is a three-stage rocket that lifts off on the thrust produced by a pair of S-200 solid propellant
motors.
The L-110 liquid core second stage ignites its two hypergolic propellant Vikas engines about 20 seconds
before the solid motors burn out.
After a 200 second burn, the C-25 cryogenic LH2/LOX fueled third stage takes over, performing two
burns for a total of 580 seconds during a typical GTO mission. The third stage uses a newly developed
CE-20 Indian Cryogenic Engine (ICE).
Indias Satellites: IRS vs INSAT
Applications of Remote Sensing Satellites
Agriculture: Pre-harvest crop area and production estimation of major crops, drought monitoring and
assessment based on vegetation condition.
DM: Drought & flood risk zone mapping and flood damage assessment
Resource Monitoring: mineral prospecting, forest resources surveys, wasteland identification, hydrogeomorphological maps for locating underground water resources for drilling well.
Strategic: They are also used for defense and strategic applications an can take images of defense
installments and troops movement. Googlemaps is a creation of similar remote sensing satellites.
Satellite Launch Sequence
From Aryabhata to RLV-TD: A history of Indias space journeys
Space research in India began in the 1920s with studies conducted by scientists S K Mitra, C V Raman
and Meghnad Saha.
India reached its first milestone in 1962 when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru along with scientist Vikram
Sarabhai established the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR).
The ICONOSPAR grew to become the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969
On April 19, 1975, Aryabhata, Indias first satellite, was successfully launched into space with the help of
a Russian rocket. It was a free ride offered by Russia to India.
1975: ISRO along with NASA developed means of using space communications system for TV
broadcasting.
This resulted in the creation of the project Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE)
1976-77: Satellite Telecommunication Experiments Project (STEP) was launched as a sequel of SITE.
It used satellite technology for enhancing domestic communication.
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1980: The first indigenously created satellite vehicle was launched from Sriharikota range in Andhra
Pradesh.
SLV-3 placed the Rohini satellite, RS-1, in orbit, thereby making India the sixth member of an exclusive
club of space-faring nations. (rohini lunar mansion).
1984: The first Indo-Soviet manned space mission was launched. Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian
citizen to go into space. He flew aboard in the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11, as part of a three member
Soviet-Indian crew.
1987: The Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) Programme supported a larger payload than the
SLV-3 and was meant to be low-cost
2008: In October 2008, the first lunar mission launched by ISRO. The spacecraft, Chandrayaan took off
from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and it operated till August 2009.
2014: Mangalyaan, Indias first interplanetary mission was launched, making ISRO the fourth space
agency to reach Mars. Mangalyaan gained worldwide repute as being the least expensive Mars mission
till date.
Interesting facts about ISRO!
ISRO was established in 1969, 8 years after Pakistan established Space and Upper Atmosphere Research
Commission (SUPARCO) in 1961. ISRO has to this date launched 65 satellites, but SUPARCO has only
been able to launch two satellites (both from foreign soil and with foreign assistance).
ISROs last 40 years expenditure is about half of NASAs single year budget.
ISROs Chandrayaan-1 (pictured above) cost 386 crore rupees (approx) which is almost 9 times less than
what NASA spends on a similar exploration.
ISRO is one of the six space agencies in the world with the capability to build and launch satellites from
its own soil.
ISRO has till date launched 23 consecutive successful PSLV launches.
Rohini was the first satellite to be placed in orbit by an Indian-made
launch vehicle (the Satellite Launch Vehicle 3). It was launched in 1980.
SLV project was headed by the missile man of India
Impoverishment or Jugaad?
The Solar System
Sun
Nuclear Fusion in the Sun
Mercury (Planet)
Relative position: 1st planet out from the sun.
Appearance: Resembles Earth's Moon, scarred by thousands of impact craters. There are areas of
smooth terrain as well as cliffs, some soaring a mile high, formed by ancient impacts.
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General composition: Rocky material. It is a terrestrial planet.
Atmosphere: Almost no atmosphere. The very little atmosphere that exists is composed chiefly of
oxygen, sodium, and helium.
Size: .054 the volume of the Earth
Planetary satellites (Moons): None
Rotation: 58.65 days (very slow rotation)
Revolution: 88 days to go around the Sun once.
Temperatures: High: 467 C on the sunny side of the planet. Low: -183 C on the dark side of the
planet.
Venus (Planet)
Relative position: 2nd planet out from the sun.
Appearance: It is covered by thick, rapidly spinning clouds. Due to its thick cloud layer reflecting
sunlight, it is the brightest planet in the sky
General composition: Rocky material. It contains an iron core and a molten rocky mantle. The crust is a
solid, rocky material. It is a terrestrial planet.
Atmosphere: Consists mainly of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and droplets of sulfuric acid; it contains
almost no water vapor. This thick atmosphere traps immense amounts of heat in a large-scale
greenhouse effect.
Size: .88 the volume of the Earth.
Planetary satellites (Moons): None
Rotation:-243 days
Revolution: 225 Earth days. Its day is longer than its year.
Temperature: 450 C. Its hotter than Mercury due to the greenhouse effect. It is actually hot enough
to melt lead.
Earth (Planet)
Relative position: 3rd planet out from the sun.
Appearance: The Earth looks blue and green from space with clouds moving through the atmosphere.
The surface of the Earth is 70% water and 30% land.
General composition: Rocky material. It is a terrestrial planet. It has a nickel-iron core with a molten
mantle and solid rocky crust.
Atmosphere: Mostly oxygen (21%) and nitrogen (78%). Some argon, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.
Size: 40,000km (24,8000miles) around at the equator.
Planetary satellites (Moons): 1 - The Moon
Rotation: 23 hours, 56miutes (1 day)
Revolution: 365.25 days
Temperature: Mean surface 15 C to 20 C
The Moon
Mars (Planet)
Moons of Mars
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Jupiter (Planet)
Relative position: 5th planet out from the sun.
Appearance: It is sometimes called a mini-solar system because of its numerous moons and several
rings. Jupiter appears striped because light and dark belts are created by strong east-west winds.
General composition: It is a gas giant, meaning it is mostly made of gases. Jupiter's core is probably not
solid but a dense, hot liquid with a consistency like thick soup.
Atmosphere: Mostly hydrogen, helium and methane.
Size: 1316 times the volume of the Earth. It is the planet with the highest gravity in the solar system.
Planetary satellites (Moons): 63 Moons some of them have been named and some have alphanumeric
designations.
Rotation: 9 hours, 54 minutes
Revolution : 11.86 Earth years
Temperature: -108 C
Moons of Jupiter
Saturn (Planet)
Uranus (Planet)
Relative position: 7th planet out from the sun.
Appearance: It has a blue-green color from the methane gas above the deeper clouds. Methane
absorbs red light and reflects blue light. It does have a small system of rings.
General composition: It is a Gas giant, meaning it is mostly made of the gases hydrogen and helium,
with a small amount of methane and traces of water and ammonia. It has no solid surface, but it does
contain a liquid core made mostly of icy materials (water, methane, and ammonia)
Atmosphere: Mostly hydrogen, helium, and
methane.
Size: 52 times the volume of the Earth.
Planetary satellites (Moons): 27 Moons
Rotation: 17 hours, 11 minutes
Revolution: 84.02 Earth years
Temperature: -197 C
Moons of Saturn
Moons of Uranus
Neptune (Planet)
Moons of Neptune
Pluto (Dwarf Planet)
Asteroids
Famous Asteroids
Asteroids
Asteroids are either rocky or metallic objects that orbit the Sun. They are too small to considered
planets but are sometimes called planetoids.
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They can be anywhere from the size of a pebble up to a 1000km (620 miles) in diameter; the asteroid
Ceres is an example of an asteroid that is this large.
They have been found inside Earths orbit and all the way out past Saturns orbit. Most asteroids,
however, are located in the ASTEROID BELT which exists between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Asteroid Belt
Comets
Comets - small, fragile, irregular-shaped body composed of a mixture of non-volatile grains and frozen
gases.
Their orbits are elliptical (oval) or parabolic (U-shaped). The orbit brings them in very close to the Sun
and swings them far out into space, sometimes out past Pluto. Example of a comets orbit.
As comets approach the Sun, radiation from the Sun evaporates the ice and gases, creating the lone tail.
The closer to the Sun, the longer the tail of the comet. The tail of the comet always faces away from the
Sun because of the solar wind coming from the Sun.
One famous comet is Halleys Comet. It is seen every 76 years. Its discoverer was Edmund Halley, who
discovered it in 1682.
Source of comets
Comets are believed to have two sources.
Long-period comets (those which take more than 200 years to complete an orbit around the Sun)
originate from the Oort Cloud.
Short-period comets (those which take less than 200 years to complete an orbit around the Sun)
originate from the Kuiper Belt.
Oort Cloud
Oort Cloud
The Oort Cloud is an extended shell of icy objects that exist in the outermost reaches of the solar
system. It is named after astronomer Jan Oort, who first theorised its existence. TheOort Cloud is
roughly spherical, and is thought to be the origin of most of the long-period comets that have been
observed.
Kuiper belt
Kuiper belt
a region of the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune, believed to contain many comets, asteroids,
and other small bodies made largely of ice
Components of Comets
Example of a Comets Orbit
Meteors, Meteoroids, and Meteorites
Meteors
The biggest meteor ever found was Hoba West and weighed 66 Tons. There are small meteors
called micrometeoroids. Meteor showers are seen as streaks of light.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Some people call them shooting stars. A lot of times, these shooting stars come in showers over
several nights.
Definitions
Greenhouse Effect - warming of a planets surface as a result of atmospheric gases trapping heat.
Carbon dioxide is one of these greenhouse gases.
Photon - a quantum of visible light or other form of electromagnetic radiation coming from the Sun. A
particle of light.
Retrograde - this means that the planet is spinning backwards compared to the other planets.
Revolution - one complete circle made around something. The orbit made by a planet or satellite
around another body.
Star - a glowing, hot, gaseous mass in space such as the Sun ranging in size from that of a planet to
larger than the Earths orbit. It generates energy by thermonuclear reactions.
Terrestrial - similar in composition and density to Earth. Relating to Earth. Earth-like.
Dwarf Planet - a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its selfgravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape,
(c) has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.
Planet - a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to
overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape and (c) has
cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.
Cosmology
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
What does the Universe include?
Did the Universe have a beginning?
Is the Universe expanding, fixed in size, or contracting?
Will the Universe last forever?
We will discover
Cosmology, which seeks to explain how the Universe began, how it evolves, and its fate.
The best theory we have for the evolution of the Universe the Big Bang.
How astronomers explain the overall structure of the Universe.
Our understanding of the fate of the Universe.
In the Beginning the Big Bang
The Universe began 13.7 billion years ago with an event called the Big Bang.
All of space-time, matter, and energy were created at the Big Bang.
The Beginning The Big Bang
The Universe is Expanding
The Redshift of Superclusters shows us that the Universe is expanding. This Redshift is called the
Cosmological Redshift, because it is caused by the expansion of space.(NCERT Class XII Wave Optics)
The farther away a galaxy is from us, the faster it moves away from us.
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What Is RedShift
We have all heard a police car with its siren on go by. You have probably also noticed that if the police
car is moving towards us, the pitch of the siren is higher than it is when the police car is moving away.
This effect is what is known as the "Doppler Effect".
Light behaves same way that the siren does. Instead of the sound changing, though, the color of light
from an object changes by a very small amount, depending on whether the object is moving closer to us
or further away. By the way, an object has to be moving very, very fast in order for the light to change
color even a little.
Redshift
Sound= Dopler
Light = Hubble
Expanding Cake Analogy
The Observable Universe
HST Galaxies >13 Billion LY Away
The First Stars much larger than the Sun with much shorter lives
Creation of Spiral and Elliptical Galaxies
Expansion of the Universe is speeding up
Very distant Type 1a Supernovae are not as bright as they should be.
This means the expansion of the Universe is speeding up instead of slowing down or staying the same.
There is something really weird called Dark Energy (not the same as Dark Matter) that is causing this
acceleration.
Dark Energy acts like anti-gravity, pushing the Universe apart.
We do not know what this Dark Energy is, but it makes up 73% of the total energy/matter of the
Universe.
Composition of the Universe
Suppose all the matter and energy in the Universe is Rs. 100 in your wallet or purse.
Rs.73 would be Dark Energy the mysterious energy thats pushing the Universe apart faster and faster.
Rs. 23 would be Dark Matter matter that doesnt give off any kind of radiation, so we cant see it but
it does have gravity.
So out of your Universe of Rs.100, Rs.96 represents Dark Energy and Dark Matter that have yet to be
identified.
Only Rs.4 would be visible matter the regular stuff we can see, like stars, gas clouds, and dust the
same stuff were made of.
Of the visible matter (Rs.4), only one-tenth of it shines as stars. Thats 40 paisa out of your total Rs.100.
The rest of the visible matter is gas clouds and dust.
Composition of the Universe
What Did We Learn?
What does the Universe include?
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It is all the matter, energy, and space-time that will ever be detectable from the Earth or that
will ever affect us.
Did the Universe have a beginning?
Yes, it occurred about 13.7 billion years ago in an event called the Big Bang.
Is the Universe expanding, fixed in size, or contracting?
The Universe is expanding, faster and faster.
Will the Universe last forever?
Current observations support the belief that it will last (expand) forever.
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

What is expected by UPSC?

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Low Earth Orbits

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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY

(Indias only Academy run by an IAS Officer)

Plot No: 1940, 18 Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40

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