3 Volcanic Craters On Martian Surface's Tharis Volcanic Plateau Named On Bharatiya Physicist Devendra Lal And Towns Of UP & Bihar
- Ananya Sharma
- Jun 13, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 14, 2024
Hello, Everyone!
Three newly explored craters on the Martian surface have been named on the names of distinguished Cosmic Ray Physicist Late Devendra Lal and the towns in the northern part of Bharat in UP and Bihar namely Mursan and Hilsa respectively.
The craters were spotted by a scientific team inclusive of researchers from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in 2021, an international body approved the naming of the three craters -(IAU) International Astronomical Union in the early days of June i.e. 5th Of June 2024.
What is the International Astronomical Union?
It is an international non-governmental organization envisioned for advancing astronomy in every way such as promoting astronomical research, transcend, study, and establishment through worldwide coordination. The goal of IAU is to advance and secure astronomy in each and every aspect.
According to PRL -Physical Research Laboratory situated in Ahmedabad which is a unit of the Department of Space of the Government of Bharat-the three craters were cited at Tharis Volcanic region of the Martian surface in a press release on Wednesday(12th June 2024).
But what is the Tharsis Volcanic region?
Located in the equator of the Martian Western Hemisphere the Tharsis is an enormous volcanic plateau and is a dwelling place for some of the greatest Volcanoes that exist in our solar system.
On June 5, the International Astronomical Union approved the naming of the craters as "LAL" crater, "MURSAN" crater, and "HILSA" crater as per the statement given by Director of PRL -Anil Bharadwaj in a press release. PRL-Physical Research Laboratory recommended the approval
"Mursan " is the name of a town in UP and Hilsa is situated in Bihar.
Pic Source: Indian Express
As per a statement, the discovery of the craters testifies drifting of a large part of sediment by water into the recently cited crater. This also proves that the Martian surface was wet formerly and it possessed water flows.
The article featuring scientists Rajiv Bharti, Issac Smith, SK Mishra, N Shrivastava, and Shital Shukla states that volcanic craters were spotted within the Mangala crater of Mars through Mars SHAllow RADar sounder-SHARAD.
But what is SHARAD?
SHARAD is a subsurface-sounding radar that finds evidence of water and ice in the initial hundreds of meters of the Martian subsurface. The data sets of SHARAD are developed by the SHARAD science team. SHARAD is perched on MRO Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter probe which is a spacecraft engineered to look out for clues of water on the Martian surface. The hunt for water on the Martian surface is a part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program.
MRO has researched Mars's atmosphere and surface from orbit from the year 2006. It possesses a highly powerful camera which has enabled MRO in many explorations.MRO has provided thousands of images of Mars's surface that are playing a crucial in shoring up the scientists for an in-depth analysis of Mars which incorporates former events of water flows on the Martian surface or in the proximity of the Martian surface.
Esteemeed scientists Rajiv Bharti, SK Mishra, and N Srivastava are members of PRL -Physical Research Laboratory. However, scientist Shital Shukla is linked to Gujrat University and Issac Smith is linked to York University situated in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The Lal crater is the biggest among the three craters and has a width of 65 Km. It was named after the honorable cosmic ray Physicist Professor Devendra Lal. He served as a Director Of PRL from 1972 to 1983.
As per a PRL release, superposed over the eastern and western sides of the rim of the Lal Crater are the two craters namely Mursan and Hilsa which extend over 10 Km.
As per PRL, the observations of the subsurface radar SHARAD MRO :
-> The LAL crater site in the Tharsis volcanic region on the Martian surface is enveloped by lava.
->Besides lava there is a geophysical traces of material apart from lava in the Lal Crater having a thick accumulation of sediment of thickness 45 m underneath the crater.
->The observations of the Mursan and Hilsa craters suggest that the Lal crater wasn't filled at once, but rather through multiple stages or episodes.
Conclusively, we can say that with the help of SHARAD MRO scientists are about to unravel the mysteries of the Martian surface and its atmosphere. Also with the names of the craters on Bharatiya Scientist Devendra Lal and towns of UP and Bihar our Bharat is pioneering in the realms of space and discoveries and the coming years it will be on the pinnacle of celestial prowess.
Thank You.
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This engaging blog effectively connects recent Martian discoveries with notable Indian contributions and geographical names, providing clear insights into the significance of these craters named after Devendra Lal and towns from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It highlights scientific advancements and space exploration achievements succinctly.
Informative blog post 😊