IT’S OFFICIAL: ‘STATIO SHIV SHAKTI’ APPROVED AS NAME OFCHANDRAYAAN-3 LANDING SITE:
Why in the news?
“IAU approves ‘Statio Shiv Shakti’ as Chandrayaan-3’s landing site name, ensuring unique identification of planetary features.”
source:swarajya
About the Approval by IAU:
- The International Astronomical Union (IAU) working group for Planetary System Nomenclature sanctioned the name “Statio Shiv Shakti” for Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander’s landing site.
- Approval was granted on March 19, ensuring unique identification and discussion of the feature.
- IAU strictly prohibits names with political, military, or religious significance for planetary features.
- Rule 9 emphasises the importance of adhering to naming conventions to ensure neutrality and objectivity in planetary nomenclature.
About Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
● India’s third lunar exploration endeavour, succeeding Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2. ● Main goal: Secure a soft landing on the Moon’s surface, achieved by the Vikram lander. ● Officially named landing site ‘Station Shiv Shakti,’ signifying a significant advancement in India’s space exploration endeavours. What is Planetary Nomenclature? ● Essential for uniquely identifying surface features on planets and satellites, similar to terrestrial naming conventions. ● Gazetteer contains comprehensive data on all International Astronomical Union (IAU)-approved names since 1919. |