Science and Technology MCQ Set 22
Showing question 106 to 110 of total 301 MCQs
MCQ Set: 22
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Question No: 106
What is the Carrington Event?
- Solar storm
- Hurricane
- Cyclone
- Earthquake
Answer and Explanation
Answer: A
Explanation
Two high-intensity solar flares were emitted, the second of which was the most intense recorded since the start of this sun cycle in December 2008, NASA said.
These radiation flares, which can disrupt communications satellites, GPS and power grids by reaching the upper Earth atmosphere, were detected and captured by the US Space Agency's Solar Dynamics Observatory.
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), these so-called category X eruptions disrupted high-frequency radio communications for one hour on the Earth's side facing the sun and low-frequency communications used in navigation.
The two eruptions occurred in an active region of the sun where an eruption of average intensity occurred on September 4.
The current cycle of the sun, which began in December 2008, saw the intensity of solar activity decline sharply, opening the way to the “solar minimum.”
Solar Cycles and Solar Flares: Know More
Solar cycles last on average eleven years.
At the end of the active phase, these eruptions become increasingly rare but still can be powerful.
Solar storms result from an accumulation of magnetic energy in some places.
These jets of ionized matter are projected–at high speed into and beyond the crown of the sun– hundreds of thousands of kilometres outward.
NASA has recorded the biggest solar flare for 12 years as the sun unleashed an X-Class flare on September 6.
The flare, which peaked at 8.02am EDT, caused a radio blackout following the “shock arrival” of radiation from the sun.
The solar flare was the largest recorded since September 2005, when an X17 was released.
X-class represents the most intense solar flares, with an X2 being twice as intense as an X1.
The largest solar flare ever recorded was an X20 in April 2001.
Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however - when intense enough - they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.
CME and Solar Flares
CMEs and solar flares are different phenomena but often occur at the same time when it comes to the strongest solar flares.
Both are created when the sun’s interior contorts its own magnetic fields—as the magnetic field snaps like a rubber band it releases a huge amount of energy into space.
The flash of light and high energy particles released is the solar flare, while the solar matter from the magnetic contortions are CMEs.
A huge solar storm in 1859 - known as the Carrington Event - caused telegraph systems across Europe and North America to fail and auroras associated with the solar winds could be seen as far south as the Caribbean.
If a similar sized storm hit today, it is estimated it could cost around $2 trillion.
Question No: 107
What is low earth orbit?
- Constellation of stars
- Space real estate
- Home to ISS and commercial and domestic satellites
- Both b and c
- None of the above
Answer and Explanation
Answer: D
Explanation
On the tarmac, the X-37B, as it is called, looks tiny, standing not much taller than a person. Its wingspan measures less than 15 feet, and it weighs in at just 11,000 pounds.
But over the course of six flights, it has proved to be a rugged little robotic spacecraft, spending a total of nearly six years, probing the hard environment of the high frontier.
On Sept 7, 2017, after a successful morning launch at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the X-37B headed yet again to the vital real estate known as low Earth orbit, home to the International Space Station and all sorts of military and commercial satellites.
The mission is slated to last 270 days, but the Air Force warned in a statement that “the actual duration depends on test objectives, on-orbit vehicle performance and conditions at the landing facility.”
The primary objectives of the X-37B are twofold: reusable spacecraft technologies for America's future in space and operating experiments which can be returned to, and examined, on Earth.
On this flight, the mission is to carry small satellites, demonstrate greater opportunities for rapid space access and on-orbit testing of emerging space technologies.
The service also said it would test experimental electronics in a weightless environment.
The mission is also significant because it marked the first time SpaceX has been chosen to launch for the Air Force - a coup for the California firm started in 2002 by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
The X-37B was launched on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
SpaceX also successfully landed the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on a landing pad on the Cape, a bit of rocket artistry that Musk and others have said could help dramatically lower the cost of space travel.
Background
For nearly a decade, the United Launch Alliance, the joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, had a monopoly on Pentagon launches.
SpaceX filed suit against the Air Force for the right to compete.
In 2015, the parties settled and SpaceX was ultimately allowed to compete against ULA, opening up a potentially lucrative source of revenue.
Since then, SpaceX has won two of three contested launch contracts.
X37B marks SpaceX's first military mission after years of launching payloads for NASA and commercial satellites.
All four of the X-37B's previous launches were aboard ULA's Atlas V rocket.
The last X-37B flight lasted almost two years, setting a new endurance record for the drone. Over the course of five missions, it has spent almost six years in space.
The reusable, solar-powered “orbital space vehicle” was developed by Boeing Co. BA, +0.72%.
Question No: 108
What is the farthest record of earth and humanity in space?
- 12 billion miles
- 11 billion miles
- 10 billion miles
- 13 billion miles
Answer and Explanation
Answer: D
Explanation
The farthest record of Earth and humanity is approximately 13 billion miles from our planet, traveling out of the solar system on its way toward the unknown, perhaps intelligent life.
The Voyager 1 spacecraft was launched 40 years ago Tuesday, carrying with it a “Golden Record” of what Earth has produced.
This ranges from the raucous 2:38 recording of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” and Azerbaijani bagpipes recorded by Radio Moscow in the 1970s, to images of human cities and people, to greetings to the rest of the universe recorded in 55 different languages.
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum held a celebration of the 40th anniversary Tuesday morning. (Voyager 2 had been launched a few weeks prior, on Aug. 20, 1977).
The twin spacecraft were originally aimed to explore Jupiter and Saturn, with their 8-track recording devices and each with a copy of the Golden Record.
But they are currently far beyond those objectives, probing far out along the frontier where our solar system meets interstellar space.
Scientists who helped launch the mission have reportedly said that the long-lived missions have surprised even them.
Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to visit Uranus and Neptune, and was the first to send back pictures of the rings of those two planets, as well as Jupiter.
The two spacecraft discovered active volcanoes on Io, multiple moons at Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, and also lightning on Jupiter.
They two crafts continue to send back information daily. They are currently measuring cosmic rays and galactic magnetic fields in interstellar space, as well as solar wind termination shock
This was our chance to create a kind of Noah’s Ark of human culture.
Question No: 109
Which bird does the cuckoo mimic to scare a reed warbler and hide eggs in the nest?
- Sparrow Hawk
- Swallow
- Falcon
- Kite
Answer and Explanation
Answer: A
Explanation
The common cuckoo, notorious for evading parental duty by hiding her eggs in the nests of other brooding birds, is even more devious than previously thought, scientists revealed.
After laying an egg, the female distracts the owner of the nest - a reed warbler in this case - essentially by frightening the poor bird out of its wits.
The cuckoo gives a “chuckle” that mimics the call of the sparrow hawk - which loves to snack on warbler flesh - before abandoning her egg among the warbler’s clutch and flying off to freedom.
This hawk-like chuckle call increases the success of parasitism by diverting host parents’ attention away from the clutch and towards their own safety.
Question No: 110
CERT-in stands for?
- Computer Event Response Team
- Computer Emergency Response Team
- Computer Emergent Response Team
- Computer Extent Response Team
Answer and Explanation
Answer: B
Explanation
he Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) on Sept 1, 2017 issued an alert about spread of a new malicious software ‘Locky’, which is being circulated through spam messages.
This is a ransomware that can potentially lock computers and demand ransom for restoring access to users.
Reports indicate that over 23 million messages are being sent in this campaign.
Locky Ransomware is learnt to be demanding ransom of half bitcoin, which at present rate is equivalent to over Rs 1.5 lakh.
The alert, issued on Cyber Swachhta Kendra, said it has been reported that a new wave of spam mails is circulating with common subject lines to spread variants of Locky Ransomware.
To target users, it added, spam e-mails showing links to fake websites is being used to spread Locky variants.
Users are advised to exercise caution while opening e-mails and organisations are advised to deploy anti-spam solutions and update spam block lists.
This is the third major ransomware attack this year after Wannacry and Petya that crippled thousands of computers, including those of multinational corporations.
In fact, according to an Assocham PWC study, India was the third worst affected country in a list of over 100 countries hit by Wannacry in May.