Swedish Institute of Space Physics to Return to Venus on Indian Space Mission Shukrayaan-1
The Indian Venus Mission Shukrayaan-1, the Swedish Institute of Space Physics will explore Venus for the second time. The Shukrayaan-1 is scheduled for launch at the end of 2023 from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Venusian Neutrals Analyzer (VNA), the satellite instrument of IRF will study the interaction between the charged particles of the sun and the atmosphere and exosphere of the planet.
It takes six months for the spacecraft to fly to Venus and it will spend a year in orbit around Venus to explore the planet.
ASPERA-4 (Analyzes of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms),IRF's instrument studied Venus on European spacecraft Venus Express between 2006-2014.
Jul 02, 2020
Core of a Gas Planet Seen for the First Time
Astronomers have found a previously unseen type of object circling a distant star.
It could be the core of a gas world like Jupiter, offering an unprecedented glimpse inside one of these giant planets.
Giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn have a solid planetary core beneath a thick envelope of hydrogen and helium gas.
But no-one has previously been able to see what these solid cores are like.
Now, a team of astronomers has discovered what they think are the rocky innards of a giant planet that's missing its thick atmosphere.
Jul 01, 2020
Facebook Launches Avatars in India
Facebook announced the launch of a cartoon-like representation of users, called Avatars. A lot like the Bitmoji stickers used in Snapchat, an Avatar aims to give a personal touch to the user's character.
According to Facebook, users can create their own Avatar from a variety of faces, hairstyles, and outfits that have been especially customised for India.
The Avatar creator can be accessed from Bookmarks through the user's FB app, as well as from the comment composer. Alternatively, users can create avatars from someone else's avatar shared across Facebook.
To create an avatar of their own, users have to follow these simple steps:
Using your device, go to the comment composer section.
Click on the Smiley button in the comment section.
Tap on the Sticker tab.
Click on Create your Avatar.
Indian Social App Chingari Logs over 3mn Downloads
Indians have rushed to download social app Chingari, a desi alternative to Chinese TikTok, which is witnessing nearly 1 lakh downloads and over 2 million views per hour since the government banned 59 Chinese apps over national security concerns.
Already downloaded over 3 million times, the app which was founded by Bengaluru-based programmers Biswatma Nayak and Siddharth Gautam last year, was trending at the top spot on Google Play Store, surpassing Mitron app, a TikTok clone platform.
"As Chingari is setting new benchmarks, a lot of investors are showing interest in our app. We are holding crucial discussions to get a good investor(s) on board so as to scale up our free-of-cost social platform," Nayak said in a statement.
Jun 29, 2020
Scientists Trace Genes that Aid and Stem Spread of the Virus
Using the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9, scientists have traced some of the genes that either aid or stem the spread of Sars-CoV-2, which causes the coronavirus disease, in cells that were infected with the virus.
The screening of such genes can help them understand how the pathogen replicates in the human body, and point them towards potential treatments and vaccines that can target specific genes and cellular processes to stop the virus.
In the study, scientists snipped specific genes in cultured African green monkey cells – which are susceptible to Covid-19 – and infected those gene-edited cells with Sars-CoV-2 to identify "pro viral" or "anti viral" genes.
Researchers also traced genes and pathways that assist the virus in replicating. These include a group of proteins that help package the DNA – called the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex – and components of the TGF-β (Transforming Growth Factor- Beta) signaling pathway, a family of proteins that plays a critical role in the growth of cells and their development.
Jun 26, 2020
Health Ministry and Indian Red Cross Jointly Launch 'eBloodServices' App
In order to save the needy from anemia in the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched 'eBloodServices' mobile app developed by the ERaktkosh team of C-DAC (Development of Advanced Computing) India for easy access to blood needed for transfusion.
The mobile app is an initiative of the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) with the aim of 'Safe blood saves lives' will be available in entire Delhi-NCR initially.
They can demand up to 4 units of blood & the blood banks of the Indian Red Cross Society will wait for them for 12 hours. The order will be diverted to the next patient only after the original recipient fails to collect it within 12 hours.
Red Cross blood bank had launched blood donation camps by sending mobile blood collection units to various localities in and around Delhi NCR.
It has also provided pick and drop facility to voluntary blood donors.
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