Consider the following statements regarding the Atmospheric Waves Expe...
Statement 1: It is an initiative of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Statement 2: It aims to study the interactions between terrestrial and Space weather.
The correct answer is Option C: Both 1 and 2.
Explanation:
The Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) is indeed an initiative of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It is a mission that aims to study the interactions between terrestrial and space weather.
1. Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE):
The Atmospheric Waves Experiment is a research initiative conducted by NASA. It focuses on investigating the processes and phenomena occurring in the Earth's atmosphere and their interactions with space weather. The primary goal of the AWE mission is to understand the dynamics of atmospheric waves and their effects on the Earth's upper atmosphere and ionosphere.
2. Interactions between Terrestrial and Space Weather:
Terrestrial weather refers to the weather conditions occurring in the Earth's lower atmosphere, including phenomena such as temperature, humidity, wind patterns, and precipitation. On the other hand, space weather refers to the conditions and events occurring in the space environment, primarily influenced by the Sun's activities.
The interactions between terrestrial and space weather play a crucial role in the Earth's atmosphere. Disturbances in the space environment, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, can have significant impacts on the Earth's upper atmosphere and ionosphere. These disturbances can cause changes in the ionospheric density, composition, and the propagation of radio waves.
Understanding the interactions between terrestrial and space weather is important for various applications, including satellite communications, GPS navigation, and space-based observations. The AWE mission aims to study these interactions and improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved.
Therefore, both statements are correct. The Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) is indeed an initiative of NASA, and its primary goal is to study the interactions between terrestrial and space weather.
Consider the following statements regarding the Atmospheric Waves Expe...
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is set to launch the Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) to study ‘air glow’ to understand space weather.
- It is a first-of-its-kind NASA experimental attempt aimed at studying the interactions between terrestrial and Space weather.
- It is planned under NASA’s Heliophysics Explorers Program, this mission will study the links between how waves in the lower layers of the atmosphere impact the upper atmosphere, and thus, Space weather.
- It will be launched and mounted on the exterior of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station (ISS).
- From the vantage point, it will look down at the Earth and record the colourful light bands, commonly known as airglow.
- The new NASA mission will try to understand the combination of forces that drive the Space weather in the upper atmosphere.
- It will measure the airglow at mesopause (about 85 to 87 km above the Earth’s surface), where the atmospheric temperatures dip to minus 100 degrees Celsius.
- At this altitude, it is possible to capture the faint airglow in the infrared bandwidth, which appears the brightest enabling easy detection.
- It will be able to resolve waves at finer horizontal scales than what satellites can usually see at those altitudes, which is part of what makes the mission unique.
- The health of the ionosphere, whose lower layers sit at the edge of Space, is important for maintaining seamless communication.
What will NASA’S AWE do?
- It will perform focused mapping of the colourful airglows in the Earth’s atmosphere.
- Onboard AWE is an Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (ATMT), an instrument that will scan or map the mesopause (a region between the mesosphere and thermosphere).
- Using the four identical telescopes comprising an imaging radiometer, scientists hope to obtain the brightness of light at specific wavelengths.
- This information can then be converted into a temperature map, which could reveal the airglow movement and ultimately, give clues on their role in the upper atmosphere and Space weather.
Hence both statements are correct.
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