Chandrayaan 2 Update:
India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission has once again made the country proud. Even though it was launched in 2019 and the lander did not make a successful touchdown, the orbiter is still active and sending back valuable data. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Chandrayaan-2 has made a major discovery — it observed the impact of a massive solar explosion, known as a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), on the Moon’s surface.

Chandrayaan 2 Update:

This is the first time ever that any instrument has recorded such an event on the Moon. The findings came from one of Chandrayaan-2’s onboard instruments called CHACE-2 (Chandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2). It detected a sudden increase in the pressure of the Moon’s thin outer layer, known as the exosphere, when a solar explosion hit it.

A CME is a large burst of particles like hydrogen and helium released from the Sun’s surface. When these particles travel through space and reach the Moon, they directly impact its surface because the Moon has no strong magnetic field or atmosphere to protect it. On Earth, these solar storms can cause geomagnetic disturbances, but on the Moon, they can directly change surface and atmospheric conditions.

ISRO explained that the data collected by CHACE-2 on May 10, 2024, showed a sharp rise in the Moon’s exospheric pressure — nearly ten times higher than normal — when multiple CMEs from the Sun struck the Moon. This observation confirms what scientists have long suspected about the Sun’s influence on the Moon.

This discovery is very important for future space missions. Scientists plan to build lunar stations in the coming years, and understanding how solar activities affect the Moon will help design safer equipment and habitats.

Through this finding, Chandrayaan-2 continues to contribute to lunar science even after six years in orbit. ISRO proudly stated that this achievement is not only a success for Indian space research but also a valuable step for the future of space exploration.

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