Daily MCQs 27 September

Q1. Consider the following statements about Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission: 

1. It is the first mission that tests a method that may be used to redirect asteroids.

2. DART will crash into Dimorphos asteroid and will change the way that the smaller asteroid orbits the bigger one.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c)

Statement 1 is correct: NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft is scheduled to have its planned collision with the asteroid Dimorphos. DART will be the first mission that tests a method that could potentially be used to redirect asteroids that pose a threat to our planet. 

Statement 2 is correct: Dimorphos is a 160-metre-wide asteroid that orbits the much larger Didymos, which is about 780-metres wide. When DART crashes into Dimorphos, it will subtly change the way that the smaller asteroid orbits the bigger one. Scientists on Earth will measure this change using telescopes on the planet and in space, including the Webb telescope and Hubble.

Dimorphos does not pose any actual threat to Earth but scientists will obtain important data from the mission. They will compare this data to the many computer-generated simulations they have already run to see whether the “kinetic impact” method can be effective as a mitigation strategy in the event of an actual threat from an asteroid.

Q2. Which of the following planets made its closest approach to Earth recently in the last 59 years?

a. Jupiter

b. Saturn

c. Mercury

d. Mars

Answer: (a) 

Option (a) is correct: NASA announced that Jupiter made its closest approach to Earth in the last 59 years on September 26. Jupiter is in opposition from the point of view of Earth on September 26. “Opposition” is when an astronomical object rises in the East as the Sun sets on the west. In this case, Jupiter and the Sun are on opposite sides of Earth. Jupiter’s opposition with Earth happens once every 13 months but on September 26, opposition coincides with the time when Jupiter will be closest to Earth since 1969.

Q3. Artemis I mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will enable human exploration of: 

1. Mars

2. Moon

3. Jupiter

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a. 1 and 2 only

b. 1 and 3 only

c. 2 only

d. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 

Option (a) is correct: NASA is standing down from its Artemis I mission to the moon because a tropical storm is moving towards the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which is on Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

About the Mission

• Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will enable human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Q4. Consider the following statements about Crypto asset management Services: 

1. It is typically offered as a full or partial services solution that allows investors to gain access to blockchain or crypto assets.

2. It can only be provided directly by crypto asset management firms themselves. 

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b) 

Statement 1 is correct: Investing directly in cryptocurrencies can be challenging for most conventional investors because of their complexity, liquidity challenges, and volatility risk. Crypto asset management is typically offered as a full or partial services solution that allows investors to gain access to blockchain or crypto assets through various routes. 

Statement 2 is not correct: Crypto asset management services can be provided either directly by crypto asset management firms themselves or via a third-party service provider. These firms are responsible for selecting appropriate crypto assets for their client’s portfolios, tracking and auditing the performance of these assets, helping new investors navigate and understand the crypto space, and providing general support as needed.

Q5. Enceladus was recently mentioned in the news. It is a moon of which of the following planets?  

a. Mars

b. Mercury

c. Venus

d. Saturn

Answer: (d) 

Option (d) is correct:  New research suggests that dissolved phosphate, a key building block of life, is abundant in Saturn’s moon Enceladus’ sub-surface ocean. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft discovered the subsurface liquid water on Enceladus and analysed samples of plumes of ice grains and water vapour that erupted into space from cracks in the icy surface of the planet. Phosphorus in the form of phosphates is essential for the creation of various important organic components, from RNA and DNA to energy-carrying molecules and cell membranes to bones and teeth. Based on data about the ocean system on Enceladus from Cassini, the research team members created thermodynamic and kinetic models that simulate the geochemistry of phosphorus. They found that phosphate minerals would be unusually soluble there.