Chandrayaan-3 Reveals Moon’s Active Plasma Environment

Analysis of data from the RAMBHA-LP instrument onboard the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 revealed that the lunar South Pole’s electrical and plasma environment is far more active than previously understood.

Einstein Ring

On 10th February 2025, the European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope unveiled a rare Einstein ring around galaxy NGC 6505, located about 590 million light-years from Earth.

The ring was formed by light from a distant unnamed galaxy first noticed in September 2023.

Aspect	Details
What is an Einstein Ring?	A perfect circle of light formed due to gravitational lensing, a phenomenon predicted by Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.
Formation Mechanism	A massive galaxy or dark matter bends and amplifies light from a distant galaxy positioned behind it.
Visibility	Einstein rings cannot be seen with the naked eye and require advanced telescopes for observation.
Why Altieri’s Ring is Special	It is the first Einstein ring discovered in a well-known nearby galaxy and only the sixth gravitational lens found at such a close distance.
Supporting Observations	The lensed nature was confirmed using instruments such as the Keck Cosmic Web Imager, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument.
Scientific Importance	Provides insights into dark matter, cosmic expansion, and Einstein’s theory of relativity.

PT Facts

Gravitational Lensing: Occurs when a massive object bends light from a distant source.
Einstein Rings: Strong observational evidence supporting General Relativity.
Euclid Mission: Studies dark energy, dark matter, and the geometry of the universe.
RAMBHA-LP: Measures electron density and temperature of lunar plasma near the Moon’s surface.

Source:

Join Our Telegram

AI Impact Summit 2026 UPSC GS-3 S&T PT-MAINS

India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) UPSC GS-2 INDO PACIFIC – IR/PSIR

20 Nov, 25
SHARE

India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) UPSC GS-2 INDO PACIFIC – IR/PSIR IPOI is India’s open, voluntary and non-treaty-based maritime initiative for building a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific through practical cooperation. Why in News? India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Ini

AI Impact Summit 2026 UPSC GS-3 S&T PT-MAINS

19 May, 26
SHARE

AI Impact Summit 2026 UPSC GS-3 S&T PT-MAINS The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 positioned India as a Global South leader by shifting global AI debate from only AI safety and regulation to AI for development, inclusion and real-world impact. Why in News? India hosted the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 at B

Hong Kong Convention for Safe Ship Recycling UPSC GS-3 ENVIRONMENT PT-MAINS

27 Jun, 25
SHARE

Hong Kong Convention for Safe Ship Recycling UPSC GS-3 ENVIRONMENT PT-MAINS The Hong Kong International Convention, 2009 is an IMO treaty that ensures ships are recycled safely without unnecessary risk to human health, worker safety and the environment. Why in News? The Hong Kong Convention entered into force on 26 June 2

LeadIT 2.0: Leadership Group for Industry Transition COP28 UPSC GS-2 IR GS-3 S&T

14 Nov, 23
SHARE

LeadIT 2.0: Leadership Group for Industry Transition UPSC GS-2 IR GS-3 S&T LeadIT 2.0 is the second phase of the India-Sweden-led global initiative to support low-carbon transition in hard-to-abate industrial sectors. Why in News? The second phase of LeadIT was announced at the LeadIT Summit 2023, ho

India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement UPSC GS-2 IR/PSIR

03 Sep, 25
SHARE

India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement UPSC GS-2 IR/PSIR The India-EFTA TEPA is a comprehensive trade pact between India and four non-EU European countries — Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland — aimed at boosting trade, investment, jobs, services, technology and supply-chain resilience. Wh