Prelim Bits 23-08-2018

Hurricane Lane

Lane is a category 5 hurricane which is currently heading towards Hawaiian Islands in Pacific Ocean.
The winds of the hurricane are expected to reach speed above 157 miles per hour causing catastrophic damages in the island.
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS) classifies hurricanes in western hemisphere into 5 categories by the intensities of their winds.
The wind scale is used only to describe hurricanes forming in the Atlantic Ocean and northern Pacific Ocean east of the International Date Line.

Category	Wind speed (Miles Per Hour)
I	74-95 mph; Dangerous winds with no significant structural damage to most well-constructed permanent structures.
II	96-110 mph; Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage.
III	111-129 mph; Category 3 and higher are described as major hurricanes.
IV	130-156 mph; It tends to cause more structural damage.
V	>157 mph; Highest category in the scale cause more catastrophic damage.

Insight Spacecraft

InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is designed to study deep interiors of Mars.
The lander is expected to rest on “Elysium Planitia”, which is a flat-smooth plain just north of the equator in Mars.
This mission is part of NASA's Discovery Program for highly focused science missions that ask critical questions in solar system science.
It is the first outer space robotic explorer to study in-depth of Mars crust, mantle and core.
It also measures tectonic activity and meteorite impacts on Mars.
It will be a first test of miniaturized CubeSat technology at another planet, which researchers hope can offer new capabilities to future missions.
It has recently crossed halfway in its enroute to Mars and expected to land in November.
The instruments aboard the spacecraft include
1. A seismometer - used to detect quakes on Mars,
2. A self-hammering probe - To measure the amount of heat escaping from the planet’s interior.
3. Cameras to take a “selfie” of the mission’s equipment.

OSIRIS-REx

The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft was launched in 2016.
Its target is Near-Earth Asteroid called Bennu.
It will bring sample back to Earth for study by 2023.
It will help scientists investigate how planets formed and how life began, as well as improve our understanding of asteroids that could impact Earth.
It recently began its final approach towards Bennu.

Near-Earth Asteroid

Asteroids, or minor planets, are small and often irregularly shaped celestial bodies.
Most of them orbit the Sun in the so-called main asteroid belt, between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter.
An asteroid is coined a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) when its trajectory brings it within 1.3 Astronomical Units (AU) from the Sun and hence within 0.3 AU of the Earth's orbit.
NEA are also known Potentially Hazardous Asteroid.
The largest known NEA is Ganymed.

Reasons for Intense Rainfall in India

NASA using its satellite data has provided an estimate of the intense rainfall that affected India from August 13 to 20.
The first band extends across the northern, western and eastern part of peninsula which is associated with the general monsoon circulation.
The second band is closely aligned with the southwest coast of India and the Western Ghats.
It appeared more concentrated and intense due to an area of low pressure embedded within the general monsoon trough.
Another contributing factor to the heavy rains in the second band is the Western Ghats.
Western Ghats along the West Coast of India intercept the moisture-laden air drawn from the warm waters of the Northern Indian ocean and the Arabian Sea as part of the southwest monsoon circulation.
Global Precipitation Measurement – It is a joint mission of Japanese Space Agency and NASA to make frequent observation of Earth’s precipitation.

Restrictions in Imports and Exports

Central Government has recently amended the Import policy, imposing restrictions on bio-fuel imports.
The free import of biofuels will now be allowed only for non-fuel purposes.
The restricted biofuels will include ethyl alcohol and other denatured spirits, biodiesel, petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals other than crude.
The import of above items, which was free earlier, will now be allowed only for non-fuel purposes on an actual user basis.
The government in its recent notification has revised the status of export of rare earth compounds.
Export of rare earth compounds classified as beach sand minerals, permitted anywhere in the export policy earlier, will be regulated now.
It has been brought under state trading enterprise and will be canalised through Indian Rare Earths Limited.

Source: The New Indian Express, BusinessLine