1. Water found on asteroid Bennu
• Scientists have discovered evidence of abundant water-bearing minerals on the surface of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu.
• Using early spectral data from NASA`s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft orbiting the asteroid, the team identified infrared properties similar to those in a type of meteorite called carbonaceous chondrites.
• Bennu has a more rugged surface than expected. This posed a challenge for the mission team and forced it to alter its flight and sample collection plans.
• Few of the particles ejected out of Bennu orbited it as satellites before returning to the asteroid’s surface.
2. India on the brink of a dry eye disease epidemic, says study
• For the first time, a large-scale, hospital-based study in India involving over 14.5 lakh patients had found the incidence (number of new cases occurring each year) of dry eye disease to be 21,000 (1.46%).
• At over 12,500 cases, the incidence in urban areas was higher than in rural areas (over 8,700 cases).
• With a large ageing population, growing middle-class and chronic nature of the disease, India is on the verge of a dry eye disease epidemic, says the study.
• The prevalence of dry eye disease will be about 40% of the urban population by 2030.
• Since the disease tends to be progressive with age, once corneal damage becomes irreversible it can lead to visual impairment and even blindness.
• Early diagnosis and treatment is therefore important.
3. GRAPES-3 experiment (or Gamma Ray Astronomy PeV EnergieS phase-3)
• The GRAPES-3 experiment (or Gamma Ray Astronomy PeV EnergieS phase-3) located at Ooty in India started as a collaboration of the Indian Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the Japanese Osaka City University, and now also includes the Japanese Nagoya Women’s University.
• GRAPES-3 is designed to study cosmic rays with an array of air shower detectors and a large area muon detector.
• It aims to probe acceleration of cosmic rays in the following four astrophysical settings. These include acceleration of particles to, (i) ~100 MeV in atmospheric electric fields through muons, (ii) ~10 GeV in the Solar System through muons, (iii) ~1 PeV in our galaxy, (iv) ~100 EeV in the nearby universe through measurement of diffuse gamma ray flux.
• For the first time in the world, researchers at the GRAPES-3 muon telescope facility in Ooty have measured the electrical potential, size and height of a thundercloud that passed overhead on December 1, 2014.
4. Smart garbage bins
• Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has launched smart garbage bins made of stainless steel.
• These smart garbage bins will be able to send a signal to the garbage collection vehicle about the ‘fill-up’ position of the bin, aiding better cleaning and lower human intervention.
• The environment-friendly garbage bins will be made of SAIL SALEM stainless steel.
• These will be installed in underground Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) pits at the Smart Garbage Station.
• This will help prevent the spread of stink and diseases.
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