Q. Consider the following statements:
1.PRATUSH (Probing ReionizATion of the Universe using Signal from Hydrogen) radio telescope will study the universe from the moon’s far side.
2.Optical telescopes collect radio waves with the shortest wavelengths, while radio telescopes collect visible light at longer wavelengths.
3.The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is the leftover radiation from the Big Bang that fills the entire universe.
4.The early universe, underwent a period of the Dark Ages, which is characterized by the presence of the only star known as Methuselah star.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation –
Statements 1 and 3 are correct. The PRATUSH (Probing ReionizATion of the Universe using Signal from Hydrogen) radio telescope is a proposed Indian telescope planned to study the universe from the far side of the moon. It aims to study the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies during the universe’s earliest periods. The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is the leftover radiation from the Big Bang that fills the entire universe. The CMB is a faint, uniform glow seen in all directions that serves as evidence for the Big Bang.
Statements 2 and 4 are incorrect. Optical telescopes collect visible light at longer wavelengths and radio telescopes collect radio waves with the shortest wavelengths. The Dark Ages occurred before the formation of any stars. The Methuselah star is one of the oldest known stars, but it formed much later, after the Dark Ages ended. During the Dark Ages, the universe was filled with neutral hydrogen gas that blocked the transmission of visible light, leading to an absence of observable stars.
Source: The Hindu
