TNPSC Current Affairs July 14, 2018

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs July 14, 2018 (14/07/2018)

Topic : New Inventions on Science and Health, Latest Diary of Events

MeerKAT radio telescope

South Africa has unveiled MeerKAT- a super radio telescope, a first phase of what will be the world’s largest telescope in a project to try to unravel the secrets of the universe.

The telescope was inaugurated in the remote South African town of Carnarvon.

About MeerKAT:

MeerKAT is a followup to the KAT 7 (Karoo Array Telescope), built in the vast semi-desert Karoo region north of Cape Town to demonstrate South Africa’s ability to host the SKA. It will be the biggest radio telescope of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

MeerKAT will address some of the key science questions in modern astrophysics – how did galaxies form, how are they evolving, how did we come to be here.

Topic : Latest Diary of Events

Shwet Ashwa Drass Expedition

Shwet Ashwa is the elite motorcycle display team of the Corps of Military Police.

Why in News?

It has commenced a motorcycle expedition from Bengaluru to Drass as a tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives during the Kargil war.

Topic: Geographical Events in Galaxy, Latest Diary of Events

Century’s Longest total Lunar Eclipse on July 27-28

A total lunar eclipse will occur on July 27-28, 2018 with a totality duration of 1 hour 43 minutes. The duration makes it the longest total lunar eclipse of this century (2001 AD to 2100 AD).

Key facts:

On July 27, the red planet Mars, will also be at opposition, meaning that the Sun and Mars will lie opposite to each other, keeping the Earth in the middle.

This will result in Mars coming close to the Earth, causing it to appear brighter than normal and it will be seen from evening to dawn towards the end of July.

The brighter Mars will remain very close to the eclipsed Moon in the sky on July 27-28 and can be spotted very easily with the naked eye.

However, the red planet will reach closest to the Earth on July 31, 2018. The planet Mars comes at opposition at an average interval of 2 years and 2 months when the planet comes close to the Earth and becomes brighter.

In this particular eclipse, the Moon will pass through the central part of the Earth’s umbral shadow. Furthermore, the Moon will be at apogee, means at farthest from the Earth in its orbit, on July 27 and will be moving at a slower speed in its orbit.

This slower moving full Moon will take longer time and greater distance of Earth’s umbral shadow cone to travel, making it the longest duration of total eclipse of this century.

Such long duration of total lunar eclipses had earlier occurred on July 16, 2000 for totality duration of 1 hour 46 minutes and another one on June 15, 2011 for totality duration of 1 hour 40 minutes.

Places Occurred:

The entire eclipse will also be visible from all parts of India. The eclipse will also be visible in the region covering Australia, Asia, Russia – except the northern part, Africa, Europe, east of South America and Antarctica.

Topic: Awards and Honours, Latest International Events

India’s ICZM Project wins World Bank’s internal award

India’s Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project has won the World Bank’s internal award for exceptional performance in Environment Ministry.

The ICZM project is among the eight projects awarded, selected out of 42 final nominations received from the World Bank Task Teams in the South Asian Countries.

Topic: General Administration, New Appointments

Rajya Sabha Nominated Persons by President

Sachin Tendulkar, Actress Rekha, Anuhaa and Parasaran : Their term of office ended on 14^th July 2018.

On 14 July 2018, four new members were nominated to Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Indian Parliament) by The President of India.

Who are they?

Raghunath Mohapatra:

Raghunath Mohapatra is an architect and sculptor from Odisha state in India.

Sonal Mansingh:

Sonal Mansingh is an Indian classical dancer and Guru Bharatanatyam and Odissi dancing style.

Ram Shakal:

Ram Shakal is an Indian politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Rakesh Sinha:

Rakesh Sinha is a renowned author, RSS ideologue and professor in the University of Delhi.

He was founder and honorary director of Delhi-based think tank India Policy Foundation (IPF), credited for establishing it as a reputed research organization (2008 onwards).