What is the name of India's space observatory that was launched to study celestial phenomena such as black holes?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Correct Answer
AstroSat
Explanation
AstroSat is India's first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory, launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in September 2015. It was placed into a low Earth orbit to study diverse celestial sources and high-energy cosmic phenomena, including black holes, neutron stars, binary star systems, and active galactic nuclei.
What makes AstroSat unique is its capacity for simultaneous multi-wavelength observations. It carries five specialized payloads that capture data across the optical, ultraviolet, low-energy X-ray, and high-energy X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum at the exact same time. This multi-band capability is crucial for studying complex cosmic environments like the accretion disks around black holes, where matter heated to millions of degrees emits radiation across varying wavelengths.
The other options represent entirely different space missions: Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission) was designed to study Mars, Chandrayaan-2 was a lunar exploration mission, and RISAT-1 is a Radar Imaging Satellite used primarily for terrestrial remote sensing, disaster management, and agriculture.
Key Points
AstroSat was launched into space using ISRO's reliable workhorse rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C30), from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The observatory carries five major scientific payloads, including the Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT), the Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC), and the Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager (CZTI), which are highly optimized for capturing black hole emission signatures.
By operating above Earth's dense atmosphere—which naturally blocks out most cosmic X-rays and UV radiation—AstroSat provides astronomers with crystal-clear high-energy data that cannot be captured by ground-based telescopes.
Important Questions and Answers
Question: Which primary scientific payload onboard AstroSat is specifically configured to detect and measure hard X-ray polarization from cosmic sources like black holes?
Answer: The Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager (CZTI) is highly efficient at detecting hard X-ray emissions and studying their polarization features.
Question: In which year did ISRO launch XPoSat, India's second dedicated space observatory designed explicitly to study the polarization of cosmic X-rays from black holes and pulsars?
Answer: ISRO launched XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) on January 1, 2024.