11. The Asteroid Belt is situated between which planets?
[A] Mars and Jupiter
[B] Jupiter and Saturn
[C] Saturn and Neptune
[D] Mercury and Venus
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Mars and Jupiter]
Notes:
Comet Read is the main belt comet that is found in the main asteroid belt but has a halo or coma and a tail like a comet. It is one of the three comets used to establish the category of main belt comets.
James Webb Space Telescope’s finding is intriguing because this is the first-time water has been found in the main asteroid belt, which is located between Mars and Jupiter.
12. Which asteroid produces the annual Geminid meteor shower?
[A] Asteroid Phaethon
[B] Asteroid Ceres
[C] Asteroid Pallas
[D] Asteroid Vesta
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Asteroid Phaethon]
Notes:
Asteroid Phaethon, which was discovered in 1983, produces the annual Geminid meteor shower.
New research has found that its close encounter with the Sun causes the vaporization of the sodium within the asteroid, resulting in comet-like activity.
13. Researchers have found building blocks of RNA in materials from which asteroid?
[A] Asteroid Bennu
[B] Asteroid Chariklo
[C] Asteroid Eros
[D] Asteroid Ryugu
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Asteroid Ryugu]
Notes:
Researchers have found building blocks of RNA in just 10 milligrams of materials from asteroid Ryugu.
This discovery confirms the hypothesis of life on Earth originating from outer space. Ryugu is a near-Earth object and a potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group.
14. Which of the following space missions has/have been launched targeting asteroids?
- DART
- Hera
- Didymos
- TESS
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 3
[C] Only 1 & 2
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Only 1 & 2]
Notes:- Double Asteroid Redirection Test is a NASA space mission aimed at testing a method of planetary defense against near-Earth objects. It was designed to assess how much a spacecraft impact deflects an asteroid through its transfer of momentum when hitting the asteroid head-on.
- Hera is the European contribution to an international double-spacecraft collaboration. It was launched by European Space Agency.
- Hera would travel to a binary asteroid system – the Didymos pair of near-Earth asteroids, Didymos is a binary asteroid.
- The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is a NASA mission that will look for planets orbiting the brightest stars in Earth’s sky.
15. With respect to the Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator, consider the following statements:
- It is a technique used to alter the orbit of an asteroid.
- It is made up of Kevlar fabric – synthetic fibre resistant to withstand atmospheric changes and temperature changes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 & 2
[D] Neither 1 nor 2
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Only 2]
Notes:- In September 2022, ISRO tested a new technology with IAD (Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator). It is a technique used for an atmospheric entry payload. It is made up of Kevlar fabric – synthetic fibre resistant to withstand atmospheric changes and temperature changes. Over it is a coating of polychloroprene – an oil and wax-resistant rubber which can withstand extreme temperatures.
- This technique could aid the cost-effective recovery of spent rocket stages and safely land payloads on other planets.
- ISRO’s IAD has been designed and developed at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSS).
- IAD technology can be used in ISRO’s missions to Venus and Mars (interplanetary missions).
16. With reference to various space flights or missions in news in recent times, consider the following statements:
- Inspiration4 is an all-civilian, non-governmental spaceflight.
- Expedition 61 is a space mission to an asteroid.
- The Artemis Program is a European Space Agency-led international human spaceflight program.
- The Vostok program was a Soviet-era spaceflight program that put the first human in the space.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
[A] Only 4
[B] Only 1 and 3
[C] Only 2 and 4
[D] Only 1 and 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Only 1 and 4]
Notes:
Inspiration4 is the first all-civilian spaceflight using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, carrying four private citizens. Expedition 61 included the first all-women spacewalk in 2019 at the International Space Station. The Artemis Program is a US-led initiative aiming to land the first woman on the Moon. The Vostok program was a Soviet-era initiative that launched the first human into space.
17. Which of the following space probes has/have been launched for the study of asteroids?- Rosetta
- Lucy
- OSIRIS REx
- Hayabusa 2
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 1, 3 & 4
[C] Only 2, 3 & 4
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [1, 2, 3 & 4]
Notes:
The Rosetta space probe, launched by the European Space Agency in 2004, studied asteroids 21 Lutetia and 2867 Steins and conducted flybys of Mars and Earth. NASA’s Lucy probe is designed to explore the Jupiter Trojans and a main belt asteroid, marking a significant multi-asteroid mission. OSIRIS-REx, also from NASA, focuses on the Bennu asteroid as a sample return mission. JAXA’s Hayabusa 2 succeeded the original Hayabusa mission and studied the Ryugu asteroid.
18. Asteroids have their orbits between which of the following planets?
[A] Mercury and Venus
[B] Earth and Mars
[C] Mars and Jupiter
[D] Jupiter and Saturn
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Mars and Jupiter]
Notes:
Asteroids are actually minor planets which can neither be classified either as a planet or as a comet. These are generally in the direct orbit around the Sun, also known as the inner solar system. Mainly the known asteroids are present in the Jupiter Trojans or in the asteroid belt formed between the Mars’ orbit and that of Jupiter. Others are found in the solar system near Earth, termed as near-Earth asteroid.
19. Which of the following is/are correctly matched?
- Asteroids- small objects revolve around moon.
- Comets- revolve around the sun.
- Meteors- enters earth’s surface.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 and 2
[B] Only 2 and 3
[C] Only 1 and 3
[D] All of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Only 2 and 3]
Notes:
There is a large gap in between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. This gap is occupied by a large number of small objects that revolve around the Sun. These are called asteroids. Asteroids can only be seen through large telescopes. Comets are also members of our solar system. They revolve around the Sun in highly elliptical orbits. However, their period of revolution round the Sun is usually very long. At night, when the sky is clear and the moon is not there, you may sometimes see bright streaks of light in the sky. These are commonly known as shooting stars, although they are not stars. They are called meteors. A meteor is usually a small object that occasionally enters the earth’s atmosphere.
20. Asteroids are found between the orbits of __?
[A] Earth and Mars
[B] Mars and Jupiter
[C] Jupiter and Saturn
[D] Saturn and Uranus
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Mars and Jupiter ]
Notes:
Apart from the stars, planets and satellites, there are numerous tiny bodies which also move around the sun. These bodies are called asteroids. They are found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The small pieces of rocks which move around the sun are called meteoroids.
