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Source– This post on Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) has been created based on the article “ Rocket carrying French-Chinese satellite launches from southwestern China to study gamma-ray bursts” published in “Times of India” on 22 June 2024.
Why in the news?
Recently, a Long March 2-C rocket successfully launched the French-Chinese satellite Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) from southwestern China.
About Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM)
1. The Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) is a satellite created by France and China to detect and study gamma-ray bursts (GRBs).
2. It was launched using a Long March-2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, China.
3. The satellite weighs 930 kilograms and carries four instruments, two from France and two from China.
4. It orbits over 600 kilometers above Earth and is designed to last five years, though scientists believe it could work for up to 20 years.
5. SVOM can help solve many mysteries about GRBs, including detecting the most distant ones in the universe, which are the oldest GRBs.
6. The data collected will help test the laws of physics in extreme conditions that cannot be recreated on Earth and provide new insights into how the universe works.
About Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs)
1. GRBs are powerful bursts of energy that usually happen when massive stars explode or when compact stars merge. These stars are often more than 20 times the size of the sun.
2. These bursts are extremely bright and can release more energy than a billion billion suns.
3. Observing GRBs is like looking back in time because the light from these events takes a long time to reach Earth.
4. As GRBs travel through space, they carry information about the gas clouds and galaxies they pass, which helps scientists learn more about the history and evolution of the universe.
5. GRBs are difficult to detect because they can appear anywhere in the sky and last only a few seconds. Earth’s atmosphere absorbs them, so they must be observed from space.
UPSC Syllabus: Science and technology
