Prelims Focus 28th February 2025

SPHEREx 

In News: NASA will launch a megaphone-shaped space telescope called Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx).

• Duration: Two years.
• Mission Objectives: SPHEREx will acquire information on over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way.
  • It will discover the origins of the universe, focusing on the period after the Big Bang.
  • It will create a 3-d map of the cosmos in 102 different wavelengths of light (hues).
• Cosmic Inflation: SPHEREx will measure cosmic inflation, which passed off around 14 billion years in the past.
  • Cosmic inflation is believed to provide an explanation for the universe’s flatness and shortage of curvature on large scales.
  • Inflation remains poorly understood, and SPHEREx can assist improve that understanding.
• PUNCH Mission: SPHEREx will launch along NASA’s PUNCH project, which researches the Sun’s solar wind.
  • PUNCH includes four small satellites in low Earth orbit.
  • It will make 3D global observations of the inner heliosphere to understand how the Sun’s corona turns into the solar wind.

Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eater

In News: The first breeding site of the Blue-Cheeked Bee-eater in peninsular India was discovered in the saltpans of Aandivilai near the Manakudy Mangroves in Kanniyakumari district.

• Physical Characteristics: The Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eater is a slender chook with a predominantly green plumage. 
  • Its face has blue sides, a black eye stripe, and a yellow and brown throat. 
  • The hen possesses a black beak, which is customized for catching bugs. 
  • It can develop as much as 31 cm in period, with its  primary tail feathers extending an additional 7 cm.
• Habitat: The Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eater is a migratory bird discovered throughout Northern Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and India.
• Diet: The species in most cases feeds on insects, along with bees, wasps, and hornets.
• IUCN Status: Least Concern.

Trump Introduces Gold Card Immigration Programme

In News: President Donald Trump has recently announced a new immigration initiative known as the “Gold Card” program, aimed at attracting wealthy foreign investors to the United States. This program represents a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy, focusing on financial investment as the primary criterion for residency and citizenship.

Key Features of the Gold Card Program

1. Financial Requirement: The program requires applicants to invest $5 million, a substantial increase from the existing EB-5 visa program, which typically demands investments ranging from $500,000 to $1 million.
2. Pathway to Citizenship: The Gold Card offers a direct route to U.S. citizenship, providing permanent residency status similar to a traditional Green Card.
3. Replacement of EB-5: The Gold Card is set to replace the EB-5 immigrant investor visa, which has been in place for over 35 years. The EB-5 program required job creation as part of the investment criteria, whereas the Gold Card focuses solely on financial investment.
4. Economic Impact: The program is projected to generate significant revenue for the U.S. government, potentially up to $5 trillion if one million cards are sold.

Why Is Mars Red?

In News: Mars, often referred to as the “Red Planet,” owes its iconic reddish hue to a combination of chemical and geological processes that have shaped its surface over billions of years. This unique coloration has fascinated scientists and the public alike, offering clues about the planet’s history, environment, and potential for habitability.

The Science Behind Mars’ Red Color

• Iron Oxide (Rust) on the Surface:

• • The primary reason for Mars’ red color is the presence of iron oxide, commonly known as rust, in its regolith (surface material). Iron oxide absorbs blue and green wavelengths of light while reflecting red wavelengths, giving Mars its reddish appearance.

• • This iron-rich dust covers the entire planet, including its surface rocks and soil, and is continually redistributed by powerful windstorms.

• Formation of Iron Oxide:

• • The iron on Mars’ surface oxidized over time through exposure to oxygen. This process could have been driven by ancient rainstorms on a wetter Mars or by chemical reactions involving water molecules breaking down into oxygen and hydrogen.

• • Another theory suggests that sunlight broke down carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, releasing oxidants like hydrogen peroxide and ozone, which reacted with iron to form rust.

Role of Ferrihydrite: A New Perspective

Recent studies propose that ferrihydrite, a water-rich iron oxide mineral, may be a key contributor to Mars’ red dust. Unlike hematite (a dry iron oxide), ferrihydrite forms in the presence of liquid water, indicating that Mars may have had a wetter past than previously thought. This discovery supports the theory that Mars once had conditions capable of sustaining liquid water and possibly life.

Geological Processes Shaping the Red Planet

1. Volcanic Activity:

• • Ancient Martian volcanoes released large amounts of iron-rich material onto the surface. Over time, this material was eroded by winds and chemical reactions, spreading iron oxide across the planet.

2. Aeolian (Wind-Based) Erosion:

• • Strong Martian winds continue to grind down rocks into fine dust particles rich in iron oxide. These particles are lifted into the thin atmosphere during massive dust storms, contributing to both the red surface and reddish sky.

3. Dust Storms:

• • Mars experiences some of the largest dust storms in the solar system. These storms not only redistribute existing dust but also create new particles through erosion processes, maintaining the planet’s red appearance.

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