EVEN THOUGH the primary objective of such missions might not be looking into the origin of life, it could find something that is very important," says Jonti Horner, professor of astrophysics at US' University of Southern Queensland, referring to Chandrayaan-3. On July 14, the Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched India's third trip to the moon (see 'Explorers of the moon', p20). The spacecraft seeks to land a rover in August and study seismicity and thermal properties of the lunar surface.
Since the 1960s, when Earth's fascination with its nearest celestial neighbour was at its peak, countries have launched over 110 missions to study the moon. The attempts have tremendously improved our understanding of not just the moon but also Earth, as well as origin and evolution of life. Evidence suggests the moon had a critical part in seeding and shaping life, and it still does. "It has definitely had an impact on Earth. Our planet would have looked very different without it. We may have had different organisms with different behaviour, and maybe, humans would not have existed," David Waltham, professor of geophysics at Royal Holloway, University of London, tells Down To Earth (DTE).
LIFE LINKED TO TIDES
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 01, 2023 من Down To Earth.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 01, 2023 من Down To Earth.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
In leading role again
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One Nation One Subscription comes at a huge cost
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Human-to-human spread a mutation away
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True rehabilitation
Residents of Madhya Pradesh's Kakdi village take relocation as an opportunity to undertake afforestation, develop sustainable practices
INESCAPABLE THREAT
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THAT NIGHT, 40 YEARS AGO
Bhopal gas disaster is a tragedy that people continue to face
A JOKE, INDEED
A CONFERENCE OF IRRESPONSIBLE PARTIES THAT CREATED AN OPTICAL ILLUSION TO THE REALITY OF A NEW CLIMATE
THINGS FALL APART
THE WORLD HAS MADE PROGRESS IN MITIGATING EMISSIONS AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE IMPACTS. BUT THE PROGRESS REMAINS GROSSLY INADEQUATE
