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.